Those who know Chanda Mulenga closely will tell you how wonderful of a person she is. Ncobile Dlamini had this to say about her, “Chanda is open to everyone. . .oh, I almost forgot, she is always laughing.” Go through her Facebook timeline and see the posts she exchanges with people. Interestingly, some of those people are those she met while still a student at African Christian College. Just the other day one of her classmates posted a group picture they took while on an evangelism mission at Lomahasha. The comments that followed reflected good memories that will be cherished forever. Well, Chanda graduated in 2015 with a major in counselling, and is back home doing some great work.
As of January 2018, Chanda joined an organization called Dreams as a volunteer. She didn’t mind doing volunteer work though carrying a degree. It was not the status of a title or a big salary (both of which were not there) that kept her there but the impact of the work she was doing. They work with adolescent girls aged between 10 to 24 years. As part of the empowerment, they teach them about HIV/AIDS, STIs, gender based violence, and unwanted pregnancies.
They also work with clinics to provide HIV testing services, and provide school fees to orphaned children. Southern Africa is heavily plagued by the AIDS pandemic, and one way of curbing it is through youth empowerment. That is what Dreams is doing, and Chanda is pleased to be part of this initiative.
Six months into the job, Chanda was rewarded for her hard work by being promoted from being a mentor to Dream Connector. The degree she holds from African Christian College also played a huge role in the turn of events in her work. She now has a stable job, good salary, and a medical scheme for her family. Chanda wrote to one of her former Counseling lecturers, Lynn Rhodes, thanking him for teaching and empowering her to be the good counselor that she is.
Chanda’s story is that of grace as well as responsibility. She worked hard in the work she was doing and God’s grace carried her through from one place to another. Her story also encourages many people who may be wondering what life there is after African Christian College. God works, and we also work.