Meet Janet Mtali, 2024 Mandela Prize Laureate and Malawian Radio Presenter

Janet Mtali discovered her passion for radio when she was invited to host a children’s show on TWR Malawi while still in high school. She has since risen through the ranks and is now the National Director.

Mtali is one of 25 Mandela Fellowship for Young African Leaders participants in Southwest Florida for the 2024 Leadership Institute hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), launched in 2014 by President Barack Obama to address the need for strong, effective leadership in Africa.

Over the past decade, nearly 5,800 young leaders from across sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the program. Each of them, aged 25 to 35, has a proven track record of driving innovation and positive impact in their communities and countries.

During the program, fellows participate in a six-week leadership institute hosted by one of 20 colleges or universities across the United States, each focusing on a particular area such as business or civic engagement.

Born and raised in Lilongwe, Malawi, Mtali has worked in broadcasting, content production, development communication and media management for about a decade. She has been the National Director of TWR Malawi since August 2023. It is a national non-denominational faith-based radio network that broadcasts content in 6 languages.

Mtali holds a Masters degree in Development Communication from the University of Reading in the UK and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Malawi. Over the years, her work has focused on health, youth and women’s issues.

Guest:
Janet Mtali, Country Director of TWR Malawi; and a participant in the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

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