Dickens Patrick Mahwayo
Assistant Director, mangochi, malawi
I was born in Zomba (southern Malawi) in a small town called Nasawa. I was the first born of 11 children. Growing up we moved around a lot. My father worked for a government agricultural marketing company that moved him around frequently for different projects. I started school when I was 5, and actually skipped ahead a grade because I was a very bright child. Even though my Dad had a good job, it wasn’t to support all 11 of us children so my mother went to work selling fried donuts in the local market. Through her work, they were able to pay my school fees and keep me in school.
I made it all the way to university where I majored in Climate Change and earned a Bachelor Of Environmental Science as well as a Business Management Certificate and a Public Relations Certificate. I have over twenty years of work experience with both local and international NGOs, including thirteen years working with donor funded projects (USAID in particular) implementing livelihood improvement interventions targeting children, girls and rural communities.
In addition to working for RiseUp, I am the current Vice Chairperson of the National Land Coalition Steering Committee as well as Vice Chairperson of the Mangochi Civil Society Organisations (local CSO network).
I’m grateful to have been considered for the 2020 Goldman Environmental Award Nominee for the African Region. I am passionate about the environment and have conducted several studies on Environment/Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, Population and the Built Industry, HIV/AIDS, Water and Food security just to mention a few.