Dalitso Tembo
Hello, I’m Dalitso Tembo.
I come from the vibrant landscapes of the Warm Heart of Africa, Malawi. Raised in a rural community in Chikwawa District, where the land’s low elevation leaves us highly vulnerable to floods and droughts, my perspective has been shaped by the lived realities of climate change and development challenges.
My early encounters with development projects revealed a persistent disconnect between implementers and recipients. This fuelled my determination to bridge such gaps and foster genuine connections rooted in empathy, participation, and accountability. Over time, as I expanded my lens beyond my community, I noticed similar dynamics across Africa, shaped by complex governance systems and socio-economic inequalities. This birthed my deep interest in African Studies.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Malawi and have recently completed the European Interdisciplinary Master African Studies (EIMAS). My master’s thesis, Assessing Policy Coherence and Safeguarding Practices Implementation in Infrastructure Projects: The Case of the Shire Valley Transformation Programme in Malawi, examined governance, resilience, and social safeguards in climate-sensitive mega-infrastructure projects.
Professionally, I have served as Programmes Assistant at the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Malawi, and most recently as a Policy Research Intern at the Governance and Local Development (GLD) Institute in Sweden, where I contributed to comparative research on resilience and crisis governance during the COVID-19 pandemic. I have also co-authored an article on labour rights, titled Addressing the Rights and Well-being of Domestic Workers in Africa: Status in Malawi.
My interests lie at the intersection of governance, resilience, and socio-economic development in Africa, with a focus on how communities and institutions navigate crises, safeguard rights, and negotiate participation in development processes.
The EIMAS programme has been a transformative journey, allowing me to expand my epistemological horizons, engage with diverse perspectives, and refine my ambition to contribute to Africa’s development through rigorous research and policy engagement. I remain committed to fostering inclusive governance and amplifying grassroots voices in shaping Africa’s future.
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