AS the University of Lusaka (UNILUS) bustles with activity today during their graduation, among the energetic faces is Dr. Joan Beula Mwanza, a woman who exudes a quiet strength that belies the challenges she’s overcome.
From resilience to role model Dr Mwanza’s Journey has seen her rise above challenges to getting her PHD and launching her book on the same day.
Known to many as Mrs Mute, a lecturer and UNILUS Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Mwanza isn’t just an educator; she’s a beacon of hope, particularly for young women, demonstrating that resilience can blossom even in the harshest of environments.
“I wouldn’t say I achieved much,” Dr. Mwanza told Kalemba in an interview with a touch of humility in her voice.
“But maybe with my academic qualifications…”
Her voice trails off as she recounts her educational journey – a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Public Administration, a master’s in Disaster Management, and today a PhD in Risk Reduction and Drought Resilience.
Dr. Mwanza’s determination to learn stems from a childhood marked by adversity. “Losing my father at the tender age of five,” she says, her voice softening, “I can still remember the excruciating pain that my family went through, especially my mother.”
Property grabbing was rampant after her father’s death, leaving her family vulnerable.
“It was a time when there was no law protecting women and children,” she explained. “We were ill-treated by my late father’s relatives.”
Yet, amidst the hardship, Dr. Mwanza witnessed an unwavering spirit in her mother.
“I saw a fighter that never gave up,” she emphasised. “A fighter who knew no impossibility in life. Left with nothing, almost every property grabbed from us, I saw this woman who began tending a field in a dambo, which turned out to be a rice field.”
Dr. Mwanza’s voice gains strength as she described her mother’s resourcefulness.
“She taught us how to grow rice at a tender age,” she recalls. “Another way of survival for her was charcoal burning. She would find another piece of land… We never saw her going around begging.”
This experience not only instilled a strong work ethic in Dr Mwanza but also a deep empathy for those facing hardship.
“Picking from the positive, I look back and realize here’s a woman who was a fighter,” she said.
“She never gave up on her children. I remember her grooming us on how to.. you know, identify the invisible God, right at a tender age.”
Dr. Muanza’s early mornings weren’t spent hitting the snooze button. No! No! No!
“Even as young as grade four or five,” she narrated with a laugh stating “who wakes a grade four to study? What would she study?”
The lessons learned during her childhood continued to guide Dr. Mwanza.
“Poverty has a face,” she states, her voice firm. “I can assure you, I can describe it. And the face is so ugly. I would not want not even any of my children to go through that.”
This resolve to protect others extends to her role as Dean of Student Affairs.
“I’m reminded of the opportunity to counsel students with dynamic stories,” she said while her voice softened. “Stories that would make your eyes well up in tears.”
Dr Mwanza acknowledged a shift in the younger generation.
“This is a generation that is so weak on the inside,” she said. “They don’t know what challenges are. Anything they face, a challenge, this generation…runs to doom.”
Dr. Mwanza believes social media plays a part.
“This is a generation that should awaken that there is much more you can do than just being glued to your social media,” she urged.
“The addiction I’m calling it, the social media addiction, which is really taking away the productivity.”
Dr. Mwanza’s mission to empower goes beyond lectures and counseling sessions.
Her recently published book, “Harnessing the Inner Resilience,” is a testament to that.
“It’s not just my story,” she clarified “There are so many stories to tell, stories of victory, stories of defeat, stories of pain, stories of brokenness.”
Dr. Mwanza’s journey from a vulnerable child to a role model is a powerful testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome.
As she puts it, “This book is going to speak to you on the fact that resilience is a game changer. It’s resilience that influences the attitude that you exert on what you are going through.”
Dr. Mwanza’s has been contributing some of her works on Kalemba and some of the pieces were included in the story.
She thanked Kalemba for the platform and added through those articles people at the brink of commiting suicide but changed their mind after encountering her work were able to reach out to her.
“It’s that kind of feedback that re-energises me to do more, ” added Dr Mwanza.
Dr Mwanza’s story is a beacon, illuminating a path towards hope and resilience, one that inspires others to face their challenges and emerge stronger.
By Moses Makwaya
Kalemba April 25, 2024
