Teldah MAWARIRE brings more than fifteen years of experience supporting civil society and media development in Southern Africa, of which seven years of experience in journalism. She has extensive experience in supporting the advocacy of African human rights defenders, including representations with and for them at forums including the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council. She has demonstrated experience advocating widely on civic space—in particular, the rights of journalists, freedom of expression for civil society and women’s rights. A robust media trainer, she is a former editor and journalist and has held various roles in newsrooms including on the writing and editing desk. Ms. Mawarire is a researcher on migration and has led media development work in human rights that included the rights of women, indigenous people and migrants. She leads a consortium of NGOs in Zambia on freedom of expression. Ms. Mawarire holds a master’s degree in Development and degrees in media and communication science. ​

Nelsom Mandela; “The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free, the right not to be oppressed. We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning.” ​

My best skill I am proud of is empathy. It's given me the ability to hear others from their point of view and put myself in their shoes before responding.​

A women and youth inclusive civil society that tackles the issues close to people's everyday lives. ​

I have learnt from a grant that it's best to listen to people and what they need, not to assume that I know what people need. This means listening not only at the beginning of a grant of relationship but listening continuously and checking in constantly. This is because the environment is constantly changing and grants and plans need to be adaptive and flexible and this can only be done through active listening.