MECE Leadership Bio

Rev. MacDonald Sembereka

Born on 10/10/68 in Mangochi, Malawi, second born of a family of 10 children of a politician father and nutritionist mother. Father got detained when for seven years at 2 years. Studied both locally and internationally in the fields of Theology, Social Work and politics. Ordained in the Anglican church as priest in 1992. Served in various capacities but in 1996 formed an organisation called MAPHUNZIRO Foundation to work towards addressing the plight of children orphaned by HIV and AIDS in my parochial district- the Foundation is educational in its approach borrowing the philosophy of Paulo Friere that 'education is the praxis of all liberation.' This is on the premise that if people have to come out of the circle of poverty, they have to undergo some level of education.

The programme is intended to serve orphans and vulnerable children of the ages 0-25 providing ECE and other related interventions. We are currently in three districts and serving a population of more than a million with children being a third of the said population. Among others, we provide psycho-social support to orphans and vulnerable children, house orphans, pay school fees for children who don't have access to education. Our project interventions are rights based in approach.

Currently, the project employs six people. The Foundation is working in partnership with OXFAM, Human Rights Consultative Committee, Foreningen Malawi Hjalpen and Swedish Organisation for Individual Relief.

MacDonald is the current Board Chair of Council for non governmental Organisations in Malawi (CONGOMA), an umbrella body for all non state actors. Among others, MacDonald is a member of the following Boards; National Steering Committee on ECE (Treasurer), Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre, Human Rights Consultative Committee, Labour Resources Centre, People's Federation for National Peace and Development and Malawi Education Network among others.

I personally have a heart for under privileged children- I don't want children to go through the pain I went through when my father was detained. I am there to encourage men to take responsibility of child care for the sake of balance in care of children.