APPRECIATE AFRICA NETWORK CELEBRATES 10th ANNIVERSARY!
Appreciate Africa Network, organizers of Pride of Africa Asia-Pacific Awards turn 10 years. Appreciate Africa Network was founded in 2013 by Zimbabwean-born Dr. Samantha T. Sibanda. The network aimed to educate and create awareness about the beauty of Africa and its diversity. The discrimination she faced while studying in China motivated her to change the narratives. Sibanda was among the 100 Most Influential People of the African Descent Class of 2018 (MIPAD2018). MIPAD came after United Nations proclaimed 2015-2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent. In the spirit of recognition, justice, and development of Africa, MIPAD recognizes global champions of African descent.
Through the Pride of Africa Asia-Pacific Awards, African individuals making remarkable contributions in their areas of expertise are recognized and celebrated.
The 2023 edition of the awards will be in Beijing on the 24th of June. Sibanda said this year is distinctive as she reflects on a decade-long journey.
Zekey Media recently took the time to engage Dr. Samantha T. Sibanda.

Q. What inspired you to start Appreciate Africa Network?
A. So, what inspired me to start Appreciate African network was after being here, I realized that people here had little or no knowledge about Africa, Africans, or our culture. They had their own beliefs, views, and opinions, and I got tired of being in the midst of people I felt did not understand me. To thrive or enjoy my time here, it was my duty to let them know where I came from, to teach them about my culture, and my people, change their attitudes and mindset towards Africans and people of African descent. Founding the Appreciate Africa Network was from pain and hurt. I cried so many times because of what people would say to me, you know, based on what they thought Africa was.
I came as a student but was impugned about where I got the money or if I qualified to be in that particular course. This was baseless but prejudiced. I wanted to see change. Calling the network Appreciate Africa was my way of telling people to start appreciating Africa by creating awareness about Africans and their culture.

Q. 2023 is the 10th anniversary of Appreciate Africa Network. How has been your journey so far?
A. Yeah. 2023 is our 10th anniversary. I would say the journey has been bittersweet, very challenging, but at the same time rewarding. The organization started in 2012 as the first to promote and recognize Africans in the Asia-Pacific region. Most Africans were busy with their work. So, when I started, people didn’t understand why I wanted to do it or why it was bothering me. It was more like fighting a battle that I would never win.
Convincing others to participate was so hard but did not stop me. I remained consistent with or without many people with me by pushing the agenda through and not giving up. Yeah, it’s been challenging because of a lack of financial sponsorship. It was draining me as I used my salary to try and fund the organization. I appreciate the people who have sponsored me so far because I get sponsorship of gift bags from companies each time I have an event. It has been challenging to keep this going for ten years without stopping.

Q. . What lessons do you pick from the challenges you faced?
A. I learned that consistency pays. Those who did not believe in me at the beginning saw my resilience despite challenges and became supportive. I no longer tell people about who I am or what Appreciate Africa Network is about, the work speaks. There is no effort I had before in trying to convince people.

Q. What is the significance of the Pride of Africa Asia-Pacific Awards?
A. So, the significance of the Pride of Africa Awards is, when I started Appreciate Africa Network as I said before, was to create awareness about Africa. I started asking myself, how do I create awareness? How do I make people understand who we are and get to know Africans and what they do? I noticed the manifestation of a preconceived mindset. Africans were labeled as drug dealers or promiscuous, and things like that. The employers paid less salary to Africans.
So, I wanted to show that we had Africans excelling in different aspects, from Fashion, Arts, Culture, Sports, Academics, and more. I thought if I started something that would recognize Africans showcasing what they were doing, at least people would better understand us. We are not just here to steal and move around aimlessly, but qualified and capable of doing great things. That is what Pride of Africa is about.

Q. How do you view the China-Africa relationship?
A. On the China-Africa relationship, there is an improvement compared to when I first came to China in 2006. In 2009 I moved here permanently. Since then, there’s been a positive shift in the relationship between China and Africa. It previously focused on the government-to-government relationship, but now getting into people-to-people. Chinese individuals are now more interested in friendship with Africans than before.
In the past, only diplomats enjoyed respect from the Chinese. They did not entertain an ordinary person as they believed those had nothing to offer. Now they have an interest in what we do. The relationship is on a positive trajectory, but continuous engagement is necessary. I think right now visa issues are the immediate concern.

Q. Name an African personality who has inspired you?
A. To choose the African personalities that inspired me would be extremely difficult for me, to be honest. My applause rings the loudest at the thought of the late Zimbabwean former president Robert Mugabe for his overwhelming triumph of literacy. My story is that of the 98% of Zimbabweans who can now read and write due to the education policies that he championed. The statement, “Zimbabwe will never be a colony again” will forever echo in my mind as I remember how he did more than just emancipate the people of Zimbabwe from mental slavery. Like all leaders, he has made a few mistakes and proved he was human. That alone, side by side with his futuristic ideologies, you know, of corporate nationalization, indigenization, and black empowerment lifted our nation to the boasting status of being the breadbasket of Africa. That gives me eternal hope that even ordinary people can do extraordinary things. So I consider him one of the African personalities that inspire me. The other ones are people who are struggling and are voiceless. Those are the people who inspire me.

Q. What’s your word to the girl child?
A. I want to say to the African girl to be strong. Often when girls fail at school they think finding a man to take care of them is the answer. So they focus more on their beauty and trying to find the man.
I just want to say to the African girl child, you are amazing and strong. Believe in yourself. Get a partner to complement you and not make them your source of everything and a solution to your problems. Let’s not give up on ourselves and hope that one day a knight in shining armor will come and rescue us. Please, don’t go throwing yourself to men who will use and leave you. You’re better than that.

Q. Where were you born? What is your tertiary education background (optional)?
A. As far as my education is concerned, when I left home, I was more on the business side, public relations, and marketing. I came up with the idea of doing marketing and starting a Zimbabwe-China consultancy company to be the link between China and Zimbabwe. I failed to do that and ended up getting into teaching. I taught for about three years and was not satisfied so I did my MBA for a year hoping I would go the business route.
After my MBA, that’s when I started Appreciate African Network. As I mentioned before, I had financial problems in running the network I decided to go back into teaching because it was what was paying more at that time.
I shifted from the business aspect to education. Firstly, I did a postgraduate certificate in education from Nottingham, IB teaching and learning from Bath University, and IB leadership practice.
I signed up for a Master’s in Nonprofit Management at Hong Kong University to understand how to run a nonprofit organization, especially in mainland China. I also did School Leadership Management at Harvard University and a Doctorate in Education, Leadership, and Administration from Bethel University. I have an honorary doctorate in Humanitarian from the Global International Alliance, USA.
Right now, am in school leadership as a licensed school principal and head of boarding for Nord Anglia Education.

Q. Do you have any projects or causes you are involved in Zimbabwe?
A. Yes, I’m building a school for youth leadership and entrepreneurship academy in my hometown of Bulawayo and Mbalabala. Sometimes we do get the degrees but without skills on how to make money. Certain things will leave us because we believe we have to work for others. So, I want to try to have that center where the youth can learn skills on projects that would help them make money without having to work for somebody else.
I am also working on doing a four-year program for girls. It is a boarding school for girls starting from form three to four and from five to six. There will be a two-year program for girls who like to do STEM teaching them science subjects. Hopefully, the building will be done next year God willing.
I’ve got Appreciate African Network Education Fund that I started to take students to school. It’s not only in Zimbabwe but in Nigeria too. I pay tuition fees to some school kids, especially the ones who have passed their grade seven and cannot move forward to secondary school and those who have written form four in the past and are failing to go to A-levels. There’s another project that I do with my mom called Sisters Unlimited in the community she mother lives. I’ve been helping them monthly with money to start different projects like poultry farming, piggery, cattle rearing, gardening, and buying used clothes to sell. Yeah, so these are some of the projects back home.

Q. What is your last hope for the African diaspora?
A. My hope for the Africans abroad is to know that home is best despite the challenges. However, most who travel abroad want to change their nationalities, and passports and disassociate themselves from Africa.
We are the resources of Africa and the change makers. It is a privilege that we managed to come out, learn and see how other countries develop. It is up to us to use that information and knowledge back home and make changes for people.
Never give up on your roots and identity.
I remember being asked to lie about my nationality at work. They wanted me to say I came from America or England for the parents of the children I was teaching to accept me. I denied. Wherever I go they have to know that I am from Zimbabwe. They have to know where Zimbabwe is. Regardless of what people say about my country and the struggles that my country has, my achievements should be celebrated under the name Zimbabwe.
I understand the humiliation that comes with being discriminated against but be proud of who you are.
Q. Thank you.