BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Former President and the founder of the People’s Party, Joyce Banda, has been named SIA-Africa person of the month due to her immense contribution to the African continent’s sustainable initiatives.
“Entrepreneur, activist, politician, and philanthropist, Dr. Joyce Hilda Banda is the SIA-Africa Person of the Month for June 2020,” reads the statement in part on SIA-Africa website.
SIA-Africa (Sustainable Initiatives and Alliances for Africa) is a social enterprise NGO, advocating for sustainable investments for Africa.
Their mission is to turn ideas into opportunities by matching needs with resources. They also have a vision to inspire thoughtful leaders and innovators, who are committed to making a difference in Africa, and developing sustainable partnerships.
Dr. Banda was the President of the Republic of Malawi from 2012-2014, the country’s first female president and Africa’s only second female president.
As a political organizer and education and women’s rights activists, her impact on Malawi extends beyond the country’s borders and has garnered international acclaim. She was included in BBC’s 100 Women, a 2014 multimedia series dedicated to examining the important role of women in the 21st century. She was twice named by Forbes as Africa’s Most Powerful Woman and once as one of the most powerful women in the world.
Before her active career in politics, Banda founded the Joyce Banda Foundation and the National Association of Business Women (NABW), Young Women Leaders Network, and the Hunger Project. Her foundation guides projects that range from empowering women to providing for orphans’ education.
Dr. Joyce Banda is a champion for the rights of women, children, the disabled and other marginalized groups and a prominent civil rights campaigner in Africa and throughout the world.
For these reasons, she has been named SIA-Africa’s Person of the Month for June 2020.
Meanwhile, Banda and her People’s Party are in partnership with the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and other seven political parties including Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima’s UTM.