This conversation originally aired on July 8, 2024.
Janet Mtali discovered her passion for radio when she was invited to host a children’s show on TWR Malawi when she was still in high school. Since then, she has worked her way up and is now its National Director.
Mtali is one of 25 Mandela Fellowship for Young African Leaders participants who are in Southwest Florida for the 2024 Leadership Institute being hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) — launched in 2014 by President Barack Obama to address the need for strong and effective leadership in Africa.
Over the past decade nearly 5,800 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the Fellowship. Ranging in age from 25 to 35, each of them has already established a record of promoting innovation and positive impact in their communities and countries.
During the Fellowship, the Fellows participate in a six-week Leadership Institute, hosted by one of 20 colleges or universities around the U.S. — each focusing on a particular field like Business or Civic Engagement.
Born and raised in Lilongwe, Malawi, Mtali has worked in broadcasting, content production, communication for development, and media management for about a decade. She's been TWR Malawi's National Director since August of 2023. It's a nationwide, non-denominational faith-based radio network that airs content in 6 languages.
Mtali holds a master’s in Communication for Development from the University of Reading in the UK, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Malawi. Over the years her work has focused on health, youth, and women’s issues.
Guest:
Janet Mtali, National Director for TWR Malawi; and a 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders participants.
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