Navigating the waters, creating Survival Instincts

Have a survival instinct, navigate the waters- Cathy

Her childhood bears alot of commonality with the famous Chimamamanda  Adiche. However, she is not a story teller,she is not a writer,she is not Nigerian but she is an inspiration, she has pursued education, she has kept dreaming and she is a role model to many. Just like Chimamanda, Catherine Mloza Banda, grew up under the roof of an academician, her father was a university lecturer. It is obvious that books were closer to her,but it was not all about books and being a daughter to an academician that mattered to her. There is more to Cathy.Growing up, she had a very happy childhood.

At a young age, Cathy began her primary school at Walani private primary school. Her father was a lecturer at the univeristy of Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture the now Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). Her mother was a Bunda student before marrying her father, so both her parents had pursued careers in Agriculture.Whilst in primary school, the stable childhood of Cathy got abit shaky faced with divorce of her parents. It resulted in Cathy's transfering from one primary school to another before embarking to Providence Girls' secondary school. Despite everything that came her way, Cathy still managed to be a top student. Even though, she never thought she was as smart as her siblings. If you sit with her and compliment her brains, Cathy will definately tell you differently. "I am not as smart as you think cause my siblings are, but one thing I know am a hardworker." she would say with a smile.

After graduating from Providence- Secondary school in 2004, She held on the belief that

Cathy Mloza Banda-I loved communication

she could do anything. she never wanted to close herself in a box with limitations of what fits her.This led her to the thought of being many things. She admits, it was not easy to make a career choice. 

With her belief of being a hardworker, Cathy Grew up wanting to be many thing, a journalist, and Architect, an engineer , you name it. Well, may be this tells that she was never clear on what she wanted to be. For sure she ain't the only one who sailed in that boat, others still are up to date especially those in secondary and primary schools. After completing her form 4 (O level), her father a profesor at Bunda somehow influenced her to join Bunda and begin a career in Agriculture. She then listed all her university course choices for Bunda. She made it to Bunda under the crop science department. Her first year expereinces were not so easy. She felt being in a wrong place, she thought she would be better as a communication person. It was more of a time she got to get her identity out of the so many things she wanted to become. She thought of giving up her father's influence into the agricultural career path and try to trade into media for development at Chancellor college. This was all just a thought that she could transfer to Chancellor College but it never happened.

Whilst in her second year of college at Bunda, she was till struggling with her career choice and was almost convinced she was in a wrong field.Math was not her thing, and to her science had little creativity as compared to arts. As time past, she learnt to accept what she was in and tried all she could to embrace her creaivity into the crop science she was studying.Time  came when Agriculture extension students were taking their educational tour to the Ministry of Agriculture's Department of Agriculture and Extension Services (DAES). Cathy never heard of DAES before and it sounded interesting to her that she one day asked if she could one day join the tour just to have an experience of what happens there and she was allowed.

Upon visiting DAES, she got motivated with their work and the thought of building a career in communication began to spur into her again.Time came for students to do internships, she was assigned to go intern at Chitedze research station as a crop science major. whilst those majoring in Agriculture extension were to go to DAES. Whilst she was getting set for Chitedze. one of the lecturers at Bunda approached her to go to DAES for her attachment. She was more than happy, it didnt even take her a second to say yes, the next thing she had already reported at DAES and there she was anchoring a radio program on Cotton, her first ever radio encounter. It was not a perfectly presented program but she was proud that she managed it. The following week, she was in working on a magazine program, it was all fun and interesting for Cathy.Internships came to an end and school commenced, she still held her experiences in communication valuable. As years passed by, she became a crop science graduate with interest in communication.

She was now out of university and was job hunting. It was never easy, her wish was to get a job in communication with a Bsc in Crop Science. She later got an offer as a Tobacco holder at Auction Holdings, one of Malawi's leading tobacco company's. She actually thanked God for the offer considering the challenges in securing a job. it was not a communications job but still she was in for it. As she got ready to report to her new work place. she was faced with transport constraints that got her treporting later than the stipulated time.Upon arrival, she found out that things were not as direct as she had thought. The company then asked her to wait for sometime. In her waiting time, she got a call from one of her uncles who asked her to visit him. She made time to see him and that was the begining of her dream. Her uncle told her of an opening at the Farmers union of Malawi (FUM), She applied and became the communication specialist at Farmers union where she focused her work on agriculture knowledge management.

After sometime, Cathy went on to pursue furthur education. She enrolled for a masters in Crop science at Bunda  under a scholarship.  Upon submitting her proposal to the crop science department, it got rejected. It was then refered to the department of agriculture extension as it was more related to extension.It got her worried. She thought she would loose her sponsorship as it was specific for crop science. By the grace of God, this compromised nothing, instead, it just opened up opportunities to her dream.As she got closer to finishing her studies, she got an offer at Farm radio to be a part of them as an agricultural value chain officer. She now works with Farm radio and has been exposed greatly to the media world. She is glad to be applying communication for advancement of agriculture. She smiles everyday living her dream.

Asking Cathy what she has to say to Malawian girls she was quoted saying

 "To girls who feel like the world is full of impossibilities, life has delt me a hand and it is up to you to make a decision either to have your best days behind you or infront of you.Always remember that God has a plan not to harm us but to prosper us. so have survival instincts,.Navigate the waters regardless of what is around you and what life has to offer." 

Reflecting on Cathy's life, there are so many girls out there who might be sharing her experiences, of couse not exactly as Cathy's but somehow you may relate your experiences to hers and may reach a point of wishing you were somebody else, or may be just like that lady next door, but being you is what God can best use to help you define who you are. Challenges in life are inevitable, Cathy was faced with family issues, her parents divorced when she was young, we may all agree that in such circumstances it ain't easy to step out of the shadow but her remarkable value on hard work helped her get to live her dream. 

NB : This profile is shared for motivational purposes, feel free to use it to motivate young women and girls who you know are still not aware of their potential. If you are looking for mentorship or need more details please contact the blog owner (alibewawo@gmail.com). young women achievers are also welcome to share their profiles and achievements: Are you one or do you know a young woman whose achievements and story will motivate and encourage girls to stay in school? send me an email and the story will be featured here.

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