Latest news with #Chombo
New York Times
6 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Chess Lover Introduces Game to Malawi's Prisons, Schools and Street Kids
While most of her teenage schoolmates spent their allowances on snacks and other small treats, Susan Namangale made an unexpected move with the little money she had. She and a few friends pooled their change to buy two chessboards for their school in Malawi. 'If my mother knew then what I had done with the little pocket money she had given me, I would have been in trouble, especially looking back on how much we struggled,' said Ms. Namangale, dressed in a black suit and a white shirt with a checkered necktie, an outfit evocative of the game she adores. 'But that's how much I had fallen in love.' Now 49, Ms Namangale is on a mission to change the narrative that chess is only for the elite. She has introduced the game to rural schools, prisons and some of the world's most underserved communities. 'Chess is for everyone,' she said, in a recent interview in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. Her first encounter with the game occurred when she was 9. One school holiday, an older sister, Gladys, returned home with a chessboard, a gift she had received from Peace Corps volunteers after excelling in mathematics at secondary school. Her sister began teaching her the basics of the game, but after Gladys returned to school, her little sister had no one to play with in Chombo, a small village along Lake Malawi, where opportunities and resources are few and far between. Africa TANZANIA Detail area Lake Malawi ZAMBIA Chombo MALAWI Lilongwe Mozambique ZIMBABWE 100 miles By The New York Times Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Business Insider
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Miss World Africa Lesego Chombo joins Botswana's cabinet, makes history at 27
Lesego Chombo, Miss Botswana 2022 and the current Miss World Africa 2024 has become the youngest cabinet minister in Botswana's history at the age of 27 after she was recently appointed Minister of Youth and Gender by President Duma Boko. Lesego Chombo, Miss Botswana 2022 and Miss World Africa 2024, has been appointed Botswana's youngest cabinet minister at age 27. She serves as the Minister of Youth and Gender, appointed by President Duma Boko due to her impactful advocacy work. Chombo credits her pageantry experience for providing a platform to amplify her voice and drive societal change. She did not campaign. She didn't even know the president. But now she's in charge of solving some of Botswana's biggest problems – from youth unemployment to gender-based violence – and she's already making a splash. 'I've never been more proud of being young,' Chombo said shortly after his appointment. 'I'm passionate about youth development, gender equality, and the future of our children.' From Miss World to Minister A trained lawyer and founder of the Lesego Chombo Foundation, Lesego was appointed as a specially elected MP. "The president has never met me," she admitted. "But I think the work I did and the platform I had helped make the case. Now, she is one of only six women in the 69-member National Assembly and arguably its most talked about issue. With Botswana's youth unemployment above 28%, and nearly two-thirds of the population under 35, Chombo wants to flip that narrative by pushing policies that favor youth-owned businesses, increasing state procurement quotas, and creating a new 'youth ecosystem'. But it was her stance on gender-based violence that drew the most controversial reactions. After voting against a proposal to introduce 'peace desks' for survivors in police stations, some accused her of failing women. Chombo declared saying that the laws already exist, but the real success lies in enforcement. "It hurts to know I could be next," she said after new stats showed more than 100 rapes and 10 murders during the festive period alone. Miss World Africa Lesego Chombo She is now pushing for a tough new Gender-Based Violence Act, and is calling for action across government in schools, hospitals and homes. Chombo says her rise began with her mother and was shaped by her Miss World journey.
