Bridget Chabunya

Joined ALA in 2008

My name is Bridget Chabunya, and I was born in Likuni, Malawi. When I was 6 years old my family relocated to Canada due to my father’s work for the Malawian embassy. The next ten years of my life were spent finding out who I was and what interested me.

One of the things which I began to feel deeply passionate about was community service. In the sixth grade I began spending a significant part of my time with the disabled community in my school. During recess and school events I engaged with my fellow peers who were slightly different than the rest of the student body. I learnt the importance of seeing people for who they were and not focusing on their physical attributes. Upon returning back to my home country in 2005 and witnessing the distressing situations that many poor individuals face concerning healthcare, I realized that I could use my knowledge and skills to bring change for the better. As though a beacon of light in the horizon I heard about the African Leadership Academy. The first thing which captured my attention was the immense diversity that was endorsed. The idea of exchanging ideas and opinions with people from all over Africa was beyond remarkable. Soon the dream that ALA encompassed -of seeing a better and prosperous Africa- became my dream.

Now that I have graduated from the African Leadership Academy I am faced with the never-ending challenge to take all the lessons I have learned and apply it wherever I am. Currently I am at the University of Rochester in New York.  I am interested in doing a double major in public health and international relations. However, at the moment I am exploring as many areas as possible such as brain and cognitive science and political science. I am grateful that through ALA I was able to learn about and apply to the great institution I am currently attending.

Even though I am miles away from the ALA campus, the ever increasing network that is ALA has and will continue to be a strong presence in my life.  I will always be thankful for  the many ways ALA has helped me grow as an individual and supported my growth.