Who We Are
We are African Youth Arise (AYA)
About Us
We are African Youth Arise (AYA)
THE ORIGIN STORY
AYA was founded by Rumbi Potter in 2012 due to her personal experiences when she moved from Zimbabwe to the UK as a youth. Rumbi moved with her parents in pursuit of a new beginning, but soon found herself overwhelmed with the unfamiliar, foreign land she now calls home. She knows too well that navigating your way from adolescence to adulthood is challenging for young people, but for those who moved here as children, or those from families who are new to the country, understanding the complicated and sometimes daunting systems, processes and cultural differences can be overwhelming. Therefore Rumbi’s desire to ensure young people do not endure the same challenges alone, Rumbi’s mind started wondering until she reached AYA. AYA works with young people and their families to enrich their lives and empower them to reach their full potential. At AYA we believe that preparing young people to become contributors to society by listening, supporting and helping is the right mix required to enable young people to aspire and reach their goals. Rumbi believes heritage is something to be proud of and you should never be in a position where you feel it holds you back. Society has come a long way in embracing multiculturalism, but there is still more to be done.
VALUES & PRINCIPLES
The Three E’s
The Three E’s
The three E’s are our core values at the heart of everything we do. Ultimately, we work to enable our young people to achieve all three.
Empower
Make our young people more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.
Enhance
To further improve the good quality, value and status of somebody/something.
Enable
Unlocking the opportunities. Providing our young people access and platforms to endless possibilities.
Meet Our Team
Passionate Individuals Behind the Mission
Rumbi Potter
AYA was founded by Rumbi Potter in 2012 because of her personal experiences arriving in the UK from Zimbabwe as a youth. Rumbi moved to the UK with her parents in pursuit of new beginnings but soon found herself overwhelmed with the unfamiliar, foreign land she now called home…Read More
Alan Itai Mukuvare
Goes by Alan Itai Mukuvare, but soon to be known as Doctor Alan Itai Mukuvare. Following the successful completion of his PhD at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine where his research will be looking at Novel Therapeutics and Drug Resistance of Tropical Infectious Diseases. Why it’s important…Read More
Blessing Mukoyi
Blessing brings a range of skills such as mentoring and coaching, career development, mental health and wellbeing and sharing my passion for music. He believes it is important for him to be part of AYA having been a young person and benefitted from the AYA programmes which landed him to opportunities…Read More
Chengetayi Pswarayi
Chengetayi is a mother of 3 – 2 sons and a daughter; adult and two teens); keen DIYer, crafter and gardener with a great passion for sport (running, tennis, golf), walking and being in nature. Chengetayi brings passion, adaptability, active listening, problem solving, creativity, and patience. Having been a young person once, and now being a parent to 3 young…Read More
James Dzimba
James Dzimba is a senior manager and chartered engineer with Network Rail, a railway infrastructure company. Providing engineering expertise and leadership within the industry. This includes the mentoring and development of engineers in the early stages of their careers. James is a volunteer with a… Read More
Salome Chamboko
Salome (Rumbi) Chamboko is a Mentor within African Youth Arise (AYA) working on various youth development, community & financial literacy programs. Professionally, she is an ACCA qualified UK Tax consultant who has been specialising in helping globally mobile employees with their adaptation to UK tax matters for the last 10+ years…Read More
Marcus Cheelo
Mishael aka Marcus has been involved with AYA for the past five years. Some of his personal interests include the performing arts, music and film. African Youth Arise has been critical in his development as an Individual teaching and instilling fundamental skills such as the importance of goal-setting and financial literacy…Read More
Joanna Mwansa
Joanna Mwansa is a Communications Officer for a charity helping refugees and asylum seekers, responsible for communicating the organisation’s vision through multimedia platforms. She is a passionate storyteller, photographer, documentary filmmaker, and author. Getting involved with AYA is such a great privilege…Read More
Ruth Pahla
Ruth is an aspiring Clinical Psychologist working as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. She enjoys working with people experiencing different mental health difficulties and helping them on their journey to wellness. As an individual Ruth enjoys the outdoors and being one with nature and taking…Read More
Hazvi Chimbetete
A mother balancing career, business, family, and community responsibilities while raising young African children in the UK. As a seasoned Regulated Adviser in financial services, she is passionate about empowering families by sharing her experiences and knowledge. Through AYA, Hazvi is dedicated to inspiring and mentoring the next generation, helping them thrive in both personal and financial growth.
Theresa Chido Kambani
A dedicated social worker, team manager, and practice educator with a passion for youth empowerment and equal opportunities. With a Master’s in Public Health and a wealth of experience, Theresa brings a holistic approach to her work, advocating for the global majority and supporting international social workers to succeed in their fields. As a mentor with African Youth Arise, Theresa offers invaluable guidance to young people of African heritage, helping them unlock their potential and build brighter futures.
Iyanuloluwa Kolawole
A PhD student at The Open University. I have skills in researching and teaching public international law, international human rights law and migration law. I am passionate about advocating for the rights of migrants. Outside academia, I enjoy facilitating seminars and workshops to promote equal opportunities for young people and support them in becoming a better version of themselves, hence my reason for joining the AYA team.