Chess Fellowship Empowers Malawi Youth Taskforce Members to Think Strategically for Community-Led Change
Thought piece by Yewo Grace Gondwe, MCLD Southern Africa Coordinator
It is 7pm on a Sunday evening in Malawi, Amissi Ramazan is all set up in his room with his laptop and phone fully charged for the weekly chess fellowship. In a town where power outages are frequent and internet connection is challenging, Amissi has mastered the art of getting organized and creating backup plans. As the digital chessboard loads, so does his determination – piece by piece, move by move, he plays not just to win, but to rise above obstacles.
23 year old Amissi lives in Malawi at Dzaleka refugee camp and is a member of the Youth Task Force of the Movement for Community-Led Development (MCLD) a Majority World led network of networks dedicated to ensuring that people have the agency and voice to lead their own development. The MCLD Youth Taskforce amplifies youth voices in shaping policies and practices that advance locally led development. In August this year, MCLD launched a Malawi Youth Taskforce Chess Fellowship aimed at strengthening connection, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and leadership capabilities among its Youth Task Force members.
The chess fellowship has 12 participants with 50% young people from Dzaleka refugee camp. This innovative initiative leverages the power of chess — a game of strategy, patience, and foresight to strengthen connections and nurture critical competencies essential for driving locally led development across communities.
Zirare Philemon, is a Malawian youth advocate who is also one of the participants for the fellowship:
“Learning chess has been an incredible journey. It’s not just about mastering openings or checkmates, it’s about growing as a thinker,” he said. “The structured guidance, mentorship, and peer learning offered by the trainer Armaan has allowed us to develop strategic thinking, patience, and resilience. Each session is an opportunity to see the board differently, anticipate moves, and sharpen decision-making skills. This kind of learning transforms not only how one plays chess but also how one approaches challenges in life.” – Zirare Philemon
The Chess Fellowship recognizes that effective community leadership requires more than passion — it demands the ability to anticipate challenges, think several moves ahead, and adapt strategies to complex realities. Through chess-based learning, Youth Task Force members are enhancing their capacity to make sound, inclusive, and evidence-based decisions within their advocacy and programmatic work. Despite the challenges of connectivity, time and resources, the youth channel their ingenuity in participating in their weekly chess lessons as it has helped to build and nurture leadership and networking skills. So when his fellow Taskforce members faced connectivity challenges, Daniel Kiza, one of the participants at the refugee camp, offered to hold supplementary in-person chess lessons to support them. This leadership, rooted in the spirit of collective action, resilience and empowerment, has supported his fellow chess players immensely.
Armaan Mehta is the 17-year-old coach for the fellowship. Based in Boston, USA, Armaan has been playing chess tournaments for many years and offering virtual chess lessons to many in India. When he heard of their interest in learning to play chess, Armaan volunteered one year of free chess lessons to the Youth Task Force members to break exclusion through financial barriers and ensure that every young person has access to critical skills.
“The sixty four checkered squares of a chess board is the home of many different ideas and possibilities. To learn chess is to learn critical thinking, decision making and calculation – all essential for making successful futures. But the true fun in chess extends beyond learning practical skills. Learning chess will allow you to make friends and connect with people you would never meet otherwise – connect through the thrill of losing your queen or winning the game. The reason I offered chess lessons is to share my love and knowledge of chess to other cultures and communities.” – Armaan Mehta
Beyond the board, the fellowship provides an opportunity for young people to CONNECT; {Challenge, Organize, Navigate, Network, Engage, Collaborate and Team building}. These interactions foster a spirit of solidarity, reflection, and innovation, reinforcing the MCLD’s commitment to nurturing young leaders who embody community-led values. Akuzike Phiri, is a young Malawian woman passionate about youth empowerment and one of the participants in the fellowship.
“Being part of the Chess Fellowship has been an eye opening and empowering journey for me,” she shared. “ I’ve not only learned how to play chess and understand every piece on the board, but also how strategy and patience shape the mind. As a woman, I’ve noticed that many of us are still sidelined in spaces like these not because of ability, but because of limited opportunity and representation. This fellowship has shown me that women belong on the chessboard too not just as learners, but as leaders,” Akuzike concluded with a confident smile.
Featured Photo Credit: chess.com