Curves check! Heels check! Dance moves check! Eloquence check! Do not let this fool you though, Lizz Wanyika possesses all these and some. It would also be a great injustice if all the community did was to gauge an African woman’s intelligence by these things. This amazing woman is constantly working to see transformation in her community.
Lizz studied International Relations undergraduate major and a minor in Environmental studies focusing on Business Law, international law and environmental law.
As a child, she always dreamt of being a humanitarian worker which led to taking a class in refugee studies. She thereafter did a Masters in International relations with Diplomacy, Development studies and Conflict studies as concentrations.
Lizz just graduated from President Obama’s Young African Leadership Initiative. She is a gold holder in the President’s Award scheme in Kenya having gone through the silver and bronze categories. This is an award scheme for young people to undertake community service, adventure, team building and resilience.
One thing I must confess is that I got to spend some time with Lizz and notable is her humility. In the interview for example, I had to forcefully force her achievements out of her. She is the type of person who doesn’t like to talk about herself. But I was not about to let you down so I wrestled her to the ground and here we are.
I am not sure if I can define myself as being successful as there is so much am yet to achieve. I have all these things buzzing through my mind that I need to get done. Sometimes I feel like I need 48 hours in a day.
One aspect I may define as successful is in my job. Whenever I meet a young person who has a little sense of direction on how to achieve their agenda, I invite them to our offices, and we have a discussion and chart a way forward. Once they leave, they feel a sense of hope and are challenged to work in realizing their desires.
I am purposefully avoiding mentioning the words dreams. I mean, like helping someone achieve their dreams. I think I am like a drop in the ocean in determining anyone’s dreams. I however can assist in pointing the youth towards a direction that may produce a positive outcome.
The young African leader works in the youth sector of the government. She has deliberately purposed to put in long and extra hours in to her work. Her vision is for all government offices to be run as corrupt free zones. This is why she made a conscious decision never to engage in corrupt practices and to ensure the youth get due right as per the constitution. I salute you Lizz! Corruption must be destroyed.
I work at the policy level in the headquarters so I get to sometimes be a part of critical decision making meetings on the youth agenda in this country. It is important for me to speak out and air my views strongly during these meetings when I feel that the core issues of the youth are not captured.
I am sometimes the youngest member in a committee and can be difficult to capture the attention of senior officials. I’ve been in a couple of meetings where people thought I was there as a secretary or support service to offer tea and water! Did I mention I am the youngest person at the headquarter level? It comes with a whole list of challenges. However, I stand my ground and ensure my voice is heard. Story for another day.
Children are at the core of my heart and it is no wonder I got a kick and a little emotional when Lizz told me that her greatest passion is to ensure children successfully finish school. This was birthed from where she hails from, a relatively marginalized area in Kenya that has very few children reaching higher learning Institutions in comparison to other regions in Kenya.
This cancer has been due to lack of basic needs like the right equipment to do exams. She therefore gathers items like stationery and other essentials for them on an annual basis.
Do people ever surprise you when they reveal things you did not expect them to? Lizz dropped a bombshell on me that she owns a small herd of goats! You should see how she carries herself and then you would understand my shock because her demeanor does not have any goat written on it. I love me some good ole steak, and Lizz might be my other plug.
She then drives me to laugh land by narrating to me how one of the goats was sold and it drove her to tears, it created a sense of loss for her. I could see tears forming in her eyes and she was quick to clarify that it was a male goat and the remaining goats were female.Who says that? I warned you though, super women do indeed have surprises.
Lizz is constantly working to better herself by grabbing opportunities that come her way. Her advice to the youth is that they need to champion their interests and realize that they must set their minds to success and they will achieve it.
Africa is incredible, enduring and able. The western world is not better than you here in Africa. The western world develops because they champion their interests. How are you championing yours?
How are you selling your local ideas and projects and achievements? No one is better than you in this world. A baby doesn’t stop trying to walk just because it fell the first hundred times, don’t give up after 100 tries. Keep at it and do it differently every time, learn and adjust.
Success is sometimes that little half shuffle, that little step or two. It is forward motion, even if the motion is almost invisible to the eye.
In the next 10 years, Lizz hopes to have influenced change. A lot of it. Influencing a green economy, disposal of plastic waste sustainably, advocating for electric cars and main transportation system. To see youth access more opportunities and all children accessing higher institutions. To own more goats and most importantly pursue her PHD before the age of 30.
Being from the Coastal region, she enjoys eating traditional vegetables, cassava, arrow roots, biriani and fish. She anything water such as swimming and rafting.
We wish you the very best Lizz! Onwards and upwards!
