If you have heard me introduce myself in a professional setting before, you have likely heard me refer to myself as an Economist, or a Demographer. You have maybe heard me refer to myself as a social scientist, and maybe a women’s empowerment specialist.
My academic undergraduate experience gives me the privilege to be all these things. I studied social sciences, and I double-majored in Economics and Demography. I did two research papers, which specialised in the socio-economic impact of women’s empowerment.
I started blogging 9 years ago, so I say my digital media expertise dates back to 2013. I have mastered the art of digital storytelling via various platforms, and on my good days, I refer to myself as a digital media expert. I am master of content (and recently learning) management systems – extremely good at SEO, and also really good at digital branding. I understand most of the challenges that come with digital, from a user and creator perspective having spent many years on both ends of that field.
In 2018, I established Ntha Foundation – with a focus of conducting research(social science)-backed trainings for young creative people, to assist them in ways to leverage digital platforms.
I had a 5 year plan on how long it would take for Malawi to open up to digitisation/digitalisation. Nothing could have prepared me for what the past 2 years held for me.
Covid-19 and Digitisation
Early 2020, Covid-19 hit. The world shut down. Physical human interaction was limited, and over what seemed like overnight, the world went digital.
The plans I had for the next 5 years had to happen now. I in a moment went from having clients asking me “why should we digitise?” to them asking me to “quickly help them digitise.”
At the time, I was planning to launch the Nyenyezi Digital Skills Fellowship. We launched in May, 2020, amidst Covid-19. It was then I identified a gap in digital skills information sharing and accessibility, and I (alongside my most wonderful team of ICT and business development specialists) started building Digi Savvy Africa. Digi Savvy Africa is still being built to this day.
Digital Malawi
In February, 2020, I got an invite to go to a networking event for creatives in Malawi. The World Bank was launching the Digital Malawi project, and they had interest in working with creatives in Malawi to establish Innovation / Creative hubs. They invited at least 20 of us – creatives. At the time, I was focusing fully on the fellowship, and I didn’t think it would be possible to start setting up my creative / innovation centre for at least another decade.
In June 2020, Digital Malawi put out a call for applications – for hubs and organisations interested in setting up innovation / technology hubs to teach young people digital skills. I knew I could teach digital branding, marketing and communications skills, but had no experience in setting up a hub or managing a full brick & mortar business. I still rose up to the challenge.
After a fairly long application and negotiation process, In February 2021, Ntha Foundation finally were awarded a contract to set up a hub in Lilongwe city. Leading up to that, I took the risk and left my job at MRA, to focus fully on this venture. If I could do it allover again, I could make the same decisions over and over again.
Transitioning from being a revenue officer with MRA in my capacity as an economist/statistician, to now working as an innovation hub manager and digital skills trainer meant I had left (partially) the world of Economics, and was now in Tech. I have never considered myself a tech person. I knew this was coming, and in October, 2020, I applied for a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship at the Malawi University of Science & Technology. I wanted to get experience in the tech world. To this day, I have completed my coursework, and am now working on my thesis, titled: “Modelling Digital Information Management Systems as effective education and media dissemination tools“.
I have spent the past year deeply within Africa’s digital divide. I have had professional and academic experience in this void, and have a great understanding of what it will take to close the Digital Divide in Africa. We have built Digi Savvy Africa under Bien Corporation Africa, and Bien itself has scaled up its operations very highly.
Digi Savvy Africa is an innovation under Bien Corp Africa, and it was built as a centralising platform for everything digital skills and resources that young people can access for free. We offer a blended learning/access approach through our/and partner hubs around Malawi, and beyond.
I have always wanted to work in specifically digital communications. I love curating stories. I love curating stories via digital channels. I have worked with many brands in this regard as a freelancer, but it has taken me 9 years to fully make the shift to digital, and I am grateful for all the twists and turns it has taken to get here.
This year, Digi Savvy Africa was shortlisted for the National Bank ICT Innovation Jam – top 15 Malawian ICT innovations out of 79 applications; very affirming to the non-tech founder that is me. Digi Savvy Africa was awarded as the best EdTech startup, and we are so grateful to be here – this far. I am more than thrilled to walk this path, and know we will go far in this journey.
I guess I’m writing all these words to let you know that it’s okay to make a career change, and that you must be intentional about it. It takes a while sometimes; it took me 9 years, and I am far from realising my dreams, but it is working out in the end.
So allow me to officially reintroduce myself – my name is Nthanda Manduwi; social scientist, and digital information management systems specialist.
All my love,
Connect with me on social media. Let’s stay in touch.
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