Dudzai Doreen Mureyi
Age: 21
Country: Zimbabwe

Dudzai is unbelievably confident, energetic, and expressive with a strong will and sense of personal identity. She’s also smart, funny, and a bit eccentric. She is a Pharmacy student at the University of Zimbabwe. To date Dudzai’s biggest challenge was being an albino; she was self conscious but has totally overcome that now. Dudzai believes in self liberation, that ideas are powerful, and that young people do not have platforms to air their ideas; she says that they are not encouraged to believe that they can rise above their circumstances.

Kitso Masi
Age: 25
Country: Botswana

When Kitso lost his parents he left school and got lost in a gang. His sister came to his rescue - he went back to school and got back on track. Kitso uses his rise from gang activity as a tool to educate youth and has turned six gangster crews into football teams. A strong and great role model, he is driven and determined. He is also an actor. He believes in the creative energy of young people as the fuel for positive change

Paullette Broohm
Age: 25
Country: Ghana

Paullette is a singer and hopes to write songs that will inspire people as her contribution to the realization of an HIV-free Africa. She is also an actress and presents a popular show in Accra “Rhythms in the Citi”. Confident with a logical and mature approach to situations, she is compassionate to the needs of others. Paullette is comfortably settled in her beliefs and has a positive, realistic outlook on life. She is down to earth and believes that anything is possible.

Nkosana “Sky” Radebe
Age: 20
Country: South Africa

Sky is passionate and expressive. He was a loveLife South Africa groundBREAKER based at Orange Farm. A motivational speaker, avid reader, and Hip-hop Poet who uses words cleverly, Sky is outspoken about his beliefs and opinions in life. He is funky and a trend-setter. His favourite quote is by Romeo, a young South African poet, “People are so afraid of a lie that they replace it with the truth”.

Brenda has a quiet strength, is gentle, and sensitive. She has a degree in Community Psychology from Makerere University in Uganda. She loves people, especially working with children, and tutors people on how to work with children. Her favourite quote is “The earth is but one country and mankind is its citizens”.

Guy is very creative, energetic, determined and driven. A fast talker, he looks a little like an eagle. He is an Anthropology student but his passion is to promote Togolese cinema and become a star! Guy relies on his own sense of identity and believes that the biggest challenge for Africa is to rebuild her lost heritage and for her people to learn to become one and love each other.

Félix João Namagôa
Age: 24
Country: Mozambique

Felix is a student of Civil Engineering at the Polytechnic University in Maputo. He plays the guitar in his free time and is a member of a band made up Mozambicans and Cape Verdeans. His dream is to become an African political leader because he says that leaders give vision to the development of their countries; he wants to help the development of Africa, but in particular Mozambique. His favourite quote is: “this is not a moment to walk but a moment to run” by Armando Guebuza, the President of Mozambique.

Kiple Gbodjrou Savina
Age: 24
Country: Cote d’Ivoire

Kiple is a musician and TV personality. She is eccentric, energetic, confident and believes that she will leave a global legacy in the arts! Kiple is funky and stylish, at the same time, she is strong spirited and open minded. She was the Co-ordinator of the Ivorian-Canadian NGO “Galaxy Youth Cote D’Ivoire”, which deals with jobless youth. Her father was killed during the civil war.

Anganile Mwakyanjala
Age: 25
Country: Tanzania

Anganile is sensitive, has a cool attitude, original ideas, and a different style. He is a TV Production Editor. For more than eight years he has been the breadwinner for his mom and three siblings, a role he came into since his father’s absence. Anganile believes in the value of intimate family and support. His struggles have made him mature early. He finds refuge in Hip-hop. He believes in creativity; that Africa must get educated in order to overcome and prosper. His greatest ambition is to portray the beautiful side of Africa.

Carmene Fataki Bolinga
Age: 25
Country: Democratic Republic of Congo

Carmene is a Cultural Studies student and aspires to eventually become the Minister of Arts & Culture of the DRC. She is a strong believer in her traditions and stays true to who she is. Her father died a few years ago and her mom works hard to ensure that she will finish her studies. Carmene has used theatre effectively in communicating messages around HIV and sometimes works in TV and Film. She is sometimes very emphatic and forceful and is a leader. Carmene believes one of the biggest challenges regarding HIV is the behaviour of men and their continued risky behaviour and disregard for women.

Nsume Ewensani Bokosah
Age: 20
Country: Cameroon

Nsume is a student. She finished her A-levels and is waiting to go to university. Her dream is to become an economist, and her vision is to create employment for youth and to start professional schools for self employment.

Her father died when she was in standard four and she has struggled, living with an uncle, and at some point failed her exams. But, she has overcome her initial challenges and is looking forward to a great future.

Nsume believes that parents must take the lead role in educating youth as well as creating greater job opportunities.

Ricardo Goagoseb
Age: 21
Country: Namibia

Ricardo is a musician, community radio producer and daily talk show host. He occasionally deals with current affairs and HIV issues on his show. He is motivated by people and life, and sees himself as unique and here for a purpose.

He has strong leadership qualities, at the same time he is very opinionated and assertive but may also be demanding. He believes that knowledge is power and that you can only be held captive by your own mind.

Tumaini Africa - First Place

Nathalie Anang
Born: 6 June 1989
Country: Ghana

Nathalie has engrossed herself in the art of writing since finishing school; she aspires to be the world’s best actress, motivational speaker and presenter. She wants to study journalism. She wrote, produced and directed a stage play in school where she was vice president of the Student Representative Council.

Faysal Ngeruka Birikunzira
Born: 08 July 1981
Country: Rwanda

Faysal is a law student at the Independent University of Kigali. He is a TV presenter for T.V.R. (Rwanda television) and a DJ for Flash FM, one of the best local radio stations in Rwanda. He is also a lead singer for a band and they are the resident band of 2 hotels in Kigali: Serena Hotel and Milles Collines.

Mutembei Kariuki
Born: 23 February 1985
Country: Kenya

Mutembei is a Global Citizen who believes strongly in humanity’s capacity for a better world and the power of the youth to make it happen. Passionate about social business, technology and connecting change agents around the world he is currently in Vienna, Austria with AIESEC the largest youth leadership development organisation in the world working with AIESEC's large network to contribute to a better world by Impacting young people. His vision is that humanity works together to solve its challenges, especially those of Africa and the developing world. He is also part of a company, MA2010 to showcase Africa in the spotlight of the World Cup in 2010 and forming a social network based on collaboration for development an idea from Imagine Afrika 1.

Yvonne Mangunda
Born: 09 November 1985
Country: Zimbabwe

Yvonne is an award nominee for her role in the country’s number 1 soap opera; Studio 263. A wicket keeper for the national ladies cricket team and a former junior member of parliament. She represented Zimbabwe at the International AIDS conference in Barcelona in 2002 where she was part of an MTV initiative called Staying Alive which also featured former U.S. President, Bill Clinton.

The Strikers

Lynn Esther Ndong
Born: 15 January 1985
Country: Cameroon

A qualified journalist, she is also into acting and singing. Lynn also spends her time being a voice over artist for radio and television adverts. A socialite who loves dancing and dreams of falling in love soon, even though she is afraid of getting hurt.

Milton Marcos Manhenje
Born: 8 July 1982
Country: Mozambique

Milton has gone all over the world since appearing in Episode 1 of Imagine Afrika. He is currently working in Maputo. He loves soccer, and is a striker himself. He is a people person and loves partying and travelling around the world but especially in Africa.

Coulibaly Arnaud Minatienni
Born: 18 May 1988
Country: Ivory Coast

Coulibaly dreams of working in the financial sector. One of his best achievements so far was when he won a poetry contest in secondary school. Writing poetry is one of his passions. He has tried to join social or community projects but has been disappointed that most of them have become too money-minded.

Ruth Solomon
Born: 20 March 1985
Country: Ethiopia

In the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ruth has moved from place to place working as a language instructor for families and language centres. She loves music, writing poems and making melodies. She has worked for different NGOs and has a passion for acting and helping people in organizing different things.

Jimare Tsabta

Thembisa Ngubane
Born: 19 April 1984
Country: South Africa

An aspirant journalist, Thembi dreamed of becoming a TV presenter. She was an ambassador for HIV/AIDS and has been featured on NPR in the U.S.A. In 2004 she appeared on CNN with Bill Clinton and Richard Gere for World AIDS day. She also gave talks in clinics and schools across South Africa. In early 2009, Thembi unfortunately passed away – she is sorely missed by all those who knew her.

Kidus Tadesse
Born: 18 December 1985
Country: Ethiopia

After his mother left him with his father at age 2, Kidus had a long running abusive relationship with his father and when he was 16 he decided to run away and live on the streets. Through the help of friends he would find a place to live now and then. Kidus worked odd jobs like shining shoes, selling sweets and newspapers to pay school fees, and was able to pass grade 12. He lives alone and works as an administrator for a private company and wants to study further.

Amina Usman
Born: 10 May 1982
Country: Nigeria

Amina has a passion for acting, modelling, music, painting and cooking. She expresses herself through art and has released an album called The African girl. She has a charity organization for HIV and AIDS that she supports with her album sales and live performance gains. She has performed in a lot of African countries to stop young girls from marriages.

Allan-Roy Sekeitto
Born: 21 April 1986
Country: Uganda

Based in South Africa, Allan is a 5th year medical student at the University of Limpopo; he aspires to specialize in reconstructive surgery. A pro-active student with a penchant for rugby and squash, he is part of the International Student desk and the 2010 planning committee.