Steering youth leadership initiatives in different spheres

Jeanette Diergaardt

Nineteen-year-old Rivaldo Kavanga joined the My Zone youth brand of Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) in his gap year directly after completing high school in 2021 and has served in various leadership positions outside of My Zone while fulfilling his duties to the brand.

Born leader

Kavanga served as a head boy at Jan Möhr Secondary School and has always had a passion for leading. According to Kavanga, as a child surrounded by other children he would naturally take the lead when they he needed to, especially when they were playing outside. Kavanga has carried leadership qualities throughout his school career and it shows through his tenure at My Zone and through all the leadership positions he holds.

Kavanga serves as the chairperson of health and social welfare and as the deputy chairperson of the Namibian Children’s Parliament. Kavanga is part of the parliamentary committee of the Southern Africa Youth Forum and is a Unicef child representative of Namibia and serves as a member of the current Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) interim Khomas regional executive committee as an additional member.

One of Kavanga’s most recent feats as a youth leader was accompanying President Hage Geingob to the World Children’s Day celebrations in Botswana at the Kazangula Bridge.

Passion and Not Play

The various positions the young man holds are not just for show. According to Kavanga, he has assisted with passing various motions during his tenure as a member of the Children’s Parliament. Some of these include calling for the mental health of learners to be prioritised, for increasing the child grant and passing a motion on equal opportunities for children with disabilities.

Kavanga has a passion for children with disabilities and one of his latest motions includes providing equal opportunities for children with disabilities. During his high school years Kavanga recalls seeing children in wheelchairs struggling to access all parts of the school grounds on their own. The classmates of these children would carry the learner up the stairs to go from point A to B.

“This was an eye-opener for me as I realised that the school grounds need to accommodate children with disabilities,” says Kavanga, adding that he imagined how the disabled learners would like to move freely and independently.

Another issue that Kavanga would like to see addressed is the unequal education that children are facing in Namibia. According to Kavanga the voluntary contribution that parents are required to make to schools is a cause for discrimination if the learners and their family members cannot afford to pay the contribution.

“Small steps make a big difference,” says Kavanga. Adding that advocating for these issues can go a long way. Kavanga has also delivered a number of motivational speeches to boys in high schools with the sole aim of wanting to empower them and giving them an eye-opening opportunity.

Playing Hard

The young man’s favourite activities include watching soccer and Netflix. He a swimming, socialising, meeting new people and discovering new places.

Soaring High

Kavanga has reached the end of his stint as an intern at My Zone and he will be missed by all his team members. He plans to pursue his studies next year. He sees himself not only pursuing one career path and believes to not limit himself but to keep his mind open for different opportunities.

According to Kavanga he has learned some valuable lessons at My Zone, which included time management and meeting deadlines, working with a team and leading with passion.

5 FUN FACTS ABOUT Rivaldo

1. He is very shy.

2. His middle name, Kanongo, means ‘clever head’.

3. He has a lucky haircut.

4. He tries to always be happy.

5. He is great at math.

6. He can play any position in a soccer team.