John Zimba has seven years' experience as a teacher working for the Ministry of Education. He holds a Master of Science in Education, with a focus on youth and social inclusion and change from the University of Glasgow. John is the founder of the Chiparamba Trust Organization, which promotes literacy in rural areas. He also works with groups of youth who are civically disengaged. John uses academic and non-academic institutions to teach citizenship skills to youth but also encourages learning in open spaces for out-of-school children. Motivated by his passion for social inclusion and change, John wants to narrow the marginalization of rural communities in accessing quality education services and increase youth participation in civic activities. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, John plans to change the narrative of rural communities through a robust campaign of literacy and citizenship programs, fighting against community issues such as early marriages, teenage pregnancy, illiteracy, and youth disengagement.