Mediatrix Masava, a young lady who was part of the Action for Life 5 programme shares her experience during the programme.

I met Initiatives of Change three years ago, when I attended a leadership training programme in Ethiopia. There I also learned about Action for Life through Ann Njeri (Kenya), Caroline Khakula (Kenya) and Joanne Nabbanja (Uganda), who had been participants of Action for Life 4. I was curious to know more about the programme, whose aim is to develop a new generation of change makers, equipping them with faith and integrity, and committing to transforming the world starting with themselves.

I wished to join the programme because I wanted to explore change in my life and country, to meet other change makers and see how they overcome challenges in this world. I also wanted to meet and interact with friends from different parts of the world.

For two months we were in Asia Plateau, the Initiatives of Change centre in India, going through the 'inner journey'. I enjoyed interacting with the Indian community and having an experience of their way of living, which was at times challenging for me, especially in adapting to their way of sitting on the floor - but with time I got used to it.

After the two months of inner journey, the Action for Life team was divided into action teams who would visit different countries for the 'outer journey'. This involved applying what you had learnt during the inner journey. I was in the South East Asia Team which visited Malaysia and Indonesia.

In Malaysia, I went for an internship with an organization called Empower, a women's organization which fights for women's rights and advocates for a Clean Election Campaign in the country, which they taught me how to run. Apart from the internship, we helped in preparing for the Tools for Change conference, which was successful. There were many ups and downs in Malaysia, at the end of the journey, but I appreciated the support and care that was given to us by the Malaysian IofC team and the AFL support team.

And finally my action team’s journey came to end in Indonesia, the world largest Muslim country in the world. In Indonesia we did workshops in schools, mainly in character building, organized a Call to Action event as well as run Teachers for Change workshop which was addressing the challenges they meet in schools.

Along this journey there are lessons that I learnt, in particular accepting people the way they are, irrespective of their weaknesses and strengths. I also learnt that it is important to live a reflective life and not a reactive life. In conclusion, I decided to put things into action, not just write about them. And one of the things I want to do is work with the Kenyan IofC team to fight negative ethnicity.

Being a participant of Action for Life 5 was the best decision I ever made. It has surely equipped me with integrity and faith. As one person said, 'change is a process ', so I am therefore still on the way to becoming a better being and am working on bringing change in myself and in my Nation.