Biography:Chmba

From HandWiki

Chmba Ellen Chilemba (born 25 March 1994), popularly known as Chmba, is a Malawian social entrepreneur, DJ, and music producer.[1] She is the founder of Tiwale, a youth‑led organization based in Malawi that supports women and gender minorities through education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship.[2]

Early life and education

Chilemba was born in Blantyre, Malawi, and raised in Lilongwe.[3] She graduated in 2010 from the African Leadership Academy in South Africa.[4] She later attended Mount Holyoke College, earning a bachelor's degree in economics and studio art.[1] At age 15, Chilemba witnessed a close friend being forced into marriage, which she has described as a formative experience that became a motivating factor behind her later work in education and community development. .[5]

Career

In 2012, Chilemba founded Tiwale, a youth‑led community organization focused on improving access to education and economic resources for women and gender minorities.[3] The name “Tiwale” means “let us shine” in Chichewa.[6] The organization was launched at a time when child marriage was still legal in Malawi.[7]

Tiwale provides programs such as business and design workshops, vocational training (e.g., fashion design, sewing, tie‑dye), and classes in music tech, digital literacy, and STEM.[3] It also offers education grants, classes, access to a library, and menstrual and mental health workshops.[8] The organization partners with Malawi’s Ministry of Health to deliver sexual health education and distribute sanitary products.[6]

As of 2021, Tiwale had supported over 367 women and gender minorities.[3] Its microloan program saw a 100% repayment rate among the first 40 participants, many of whom started their own businesses.[9] During the COVID‑19 pandemic, Tiwale distributed over 26,000 masks and reached more than 20,000 youth through awareness campaigns.[6] Supporters include The Headley Trust, Frida Fund, Global Changemakers, and The Shawn Foundation.[6]

Under the name Chmba, Chilemba has performed globally.[2] Her style blends Afro‑electronic, indie, and house influences, with themes of culture, identity, and mental health.[1] She began experimenting with music at a young age and received her first DJ controller at 18.[3] She has performed at the World Economic Forum, BBC Radio 6 Music, Women Deliver, Tumaini Festival, and Madonna's private Oscars event.[10][11] She has shared lineups with Angélique Kidjo, Nile Rodgers, Metro Boomin, and Laura Mvula.[1]

Her 2020 debut EP, Mtima Rising, received over 10,000 streams.[12] She has been featured in DJ Mag, BBC Radio, and was named ISGUBHU Artist of the Month by Apple Music.[13] She is signed to the music distribution platform Platoon.[14]

Awards and recognition

Chilemba was named a Global Teen Leader in 2013 by the We Are Family Foundation and was featured on Humans of New York.[15] In 2015, she was featured in Forbes Africa’s “30 Under 30” list and received the Powell Exemplary Leader Award.[16] She was also a finalist for the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Awards.[17]

In 2016, she received the Humanitarian Award from the We Are Family Foundation.[18] In 2017, she was named Glamour Magazine’s College Woman of the Year.[19] She has been a Goalkeeper with the Gates Foundation, a Global Citizen Youth Advocate, a One Young World Ambassador, and an Ashoka Future Forward Awardee.[2] In 2021, she was named a Kofi Annan Changemaker and received a Seed Award from the Prince Claus Fund.[20] She currently serves as Director of the Youth To The Front Fund at the We Are Family Foundation.[15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Chmba Ellen Chilemba '17". https://www.mtholyoke.edu/directory/faculty-staff/chmba-ellen-chilemba-17. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Marketing, ALA (28 June 2021). "Chmba Ellen Chilemba '10 Recognized as 2021 Kofi Annan Changemaker". https://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/2021/06/28/chmba-ellen-chilemba-10-recognized-as-2021-kofi-annan-changemaker/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Online, Nation (10 December 2023). "Ellen Chilemba: Founder of Tiwale Community‑Based Organisation". Nation Online. https://mwnation.com/ellen-chilemba-founder-of-tiwale-community-based-organisation/. 
  4. ↑ Marketing, ALA (27 November 2018). "ALA's Homecoming Spotlight: Ellen Chilemba, Class of 2010". https://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/2018/11/27/alas-homecoming-spotlight-ellen-chilemba-class-of-2010/. 
  5. ↑ Huntoon, Allyson (13 April 2017). "Ellen Chilemba '17 named Glamour College Woman of the Year". Mount Holyoke News. https://www.mountholyokenews.com/news/2017/4/13/ellen-chilemba-17-named-glamour-college-woman-of-the-year/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Foundation, Kofi Annan (8 March 2022). "Turning marginalised Malawians into passionate community leaders". https://www.kofiannanfoundation.org/news/turning-marginalised-malawians-into-passionate-community-leaders/. 
  7. ↑ "Raw passion inspires change in Malawi". https://novationmusic.com/articles/raw-passion-inspires-change-in-malawi/. 
  8. ↑ "Programs at Tiwale". https://www.tiwale.org/programs. 
  9. ↑ "About Tiwale". https://www.tiwale.org/about. 
  10. ↑ "Chmba Chilemba". https://sewfonline.com/speaker/chmba-chilemba/. 
  11. ↑ Peace, African (17 June 2023). "DJing for Madonna – How Malawi's Chmba made it big". https://africanpeace.org/djing-for-madonna-how-malawis-chmba-made-it-big/. 
  12. ↑ "Chmba on Apple Music – *Mtima Rising* (EP)". https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chmba/1478456723. 
  13. ↑ "Apple Music Announces Chmba As The Latest Isgubhu Cover Star". 26 June 2023. https://lamag.africa/2023/06/26/apple-music-announces-chmba-as-the-latest-isgubhu-cover-star/. 
  14. ↑ Times, Malawiana (18 June 2023). "Songstress Chmba drops new EP 'Okongola Caucus'". Malawiana Times. https://www.malawianatimes.com/2023/06/18/songstress-chmba-drops-new-epokongola-caucus/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Team". https://www.wearefamilyfoundation.org/team. 
  16. ↑ "Ashoka Future Forward Innovation Challenge Winners Named Forbes Africa's Top 30". https://www.ashoka.org/en-za/story/ashoka-future-forward-innovation-challenge-winners-named-forbes-africas-top-30. 
  17. ↑ "Ellen Chilemba from Malawi is the Young Person of the Month for August 2015". 12 August 2015. https://opportunitydesk.org/2015/08/12/ellen-chilemba-from-malawi-ypom/. 
  18. ↑ Marketing, ALA (30 August 2017). "ALA alumni Ellen Chilemba Wins Top Accolade and Grand Prize". https://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/2017/08/30/ala-alumni-ellen-chilemba-wins-top-accolade-grand-prize/. 
  19. ↑ Marketing, ALA (31 May 2017). "Ellen Chilemba is the 2017 Glamour Magazine College Woman of the Year". https://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/2017/05/31/ellen-glamour-magazine-college-woman-year/. 
  20. ↑ "Chmba Ellen Chilemba – Awardee". https://princeclausfund.nl/awardees/chmba-ellen-chilemba. 



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Biography:Chmba&oldid=4294778"