Zambian Equitech Scholar's reflections on leadership, learning, and shaping Zambia’s policy future

By Anodya Mishra

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Zambian alumni, Dabwitso Zumani Phiri is the co-founder of Amini Centre for Policy Research. He was a part of the inaugural Civic Tech Institute in 2023, when he was introduced to Equitech Futures through his friend, Clinton Manoti (Applied Data '22, Kenya).

“I founded Amini in 2019 after I completed my undergraduate degree from Ashoka University in India. Think tanks were a hot word back then, and I always wondered how people start a think tank by themself. I was a graduate of political science and media studies which equipped me with knowledge across a wide range of fields - especially in international relations, economic development, and electoral and legislative research. Thus, I decided that I would start a think tank of my own in Zambia and promote youth-led policy research.” 

Zumani joined the Civic Tech Institute to further hone his skills in policy research and get connected with a global community of civic tech enthusiasts.

“The program helped me a lot with regards to understanding how tech and policy interact on a global platform. My biggest takeaway was the people I met during this program. Everyone was doing work that inspired me to do more and do better in my field. We had people from all corners of the world; from China to Spain to Paraguay. This diversity also helped in making the cohort a tight-knit community.”

As the first batch of the Civic Tech Institute, Zumani also expressed the excitement of being a part of an institution in its early stages.

“The special thing about being the first batch in any program is you are laying the foundation to building something.”

Among all the courses in the Civic Tech Institute, Zumani liked the Community Action Lab taught by Thomas Murray the most.

“Every course was carefully designed by the faculty to cater to the interests and needs of the cohort, and the classes were fantastic and eye-opening. But, Thomas’s class was the cherry on top. It was our breathing ground - the heart of the program and the institution. For our final project, we all convene a Town Hall in a fictional city, and the cohort unanimously voted to call ourselves the Zumanizens! It was a moment I will treasure for a lifetime.”

Zumani shared his experience of starting his own venture and the struggles that come with it.

“I started Amini because I realized there was a dearth of space for policy and polemic around governance and development in Zambia. A lot of think tanks here focused on economics and trade and my interests lay elsewhere. My journey has not been easy. Starting something from scratch requires a perfect blend of strategy and execution. We have gone through ups and downs, especially in terms of finance and funding like every other startup. But when I see our team moving forward in life doing great things, it gives me a lot of joy. Our very first intern, who was with Amini for around three years went on to receive the Rhodes Scholarship recently, and it was a celebratory news for all of us at Amini.” 

After being in the professional space for over five years now, Zumani wishes to go back to his academic roots and pursue a masters in public policy. He believes learning is a wide and ever growing process, and wishes to supplement his on ground training with academic expertise.

“To everyone coming into a course at Equitech Futures, I would advise what I followed during my time: you have to put your biases aside and be ready to learn and unlearn. If you show faith in what has been planned for you and diligently follow through the course, you are guaranteed to benefit from this community. Also, remember that learning is not just inside the classroom, but outside of it as well, so interact with your peers, get to know about their life and experiences, and have empathy for each other.”