|FELISTUS CHAMA
|Founder and Visual Artist, Young Creativez
Using art as a tool to create awareness and bring positive socio-cultural change in the community.
Felistus Chama is a social entrepreneur, self-taught visual artist and advocate for social justice for women and children in Zambia. She currently holds a Bachelors degree in Humanities and Social Sciences from the University of Zambia. Felistus attributes her experience having worked as a court reporter at the High Court of Zambia as having sparked her passion to help bring social justice to the marginalized in her community through her artistic talent. In light of the negative stereotypes and cultural practices that go against women and children, Felistus uses her paintings to create awareness on the unspoken evils and injustices that get passed as normal in her community. Through her art work she has helped bridge the gap between education, innovation and advocacy to decision makers and the community at large to stimulate social movements such as the motion to provide free sanitary wear for girls in schools in Zambia in 2018.
Felistus’ art work has impacted thousands of people on various avenues such as social media, art circles, exhibitions and forums including the 2018 SRHR regional forum. As the founder of Young Creativez in 2020, Felistus has since led a group of about 120 young upcoming artists to actively pursue art as a career and continues to mentor and guide them on how to use their talent not only for personal growth but to invoke change in their communities as well. Through her online platforms Felistus aims to inspire young Zambians by sharing art work and personal stories from affiliated artists and mentors.
In addition to her artistic work, Felistus has been the chairperson of a Village Bank Building Fund for over 3 years where she has guided and coordinated over 50 young Zambians from different parts of the country on how to save money from their income to acquire property and empower themselves. In this role she uses her entrepreneurial skills to inform the members of opportunities countrywide to own land, the steps in developing a property and also assists in managing the finances of the group.
In August 2022 Felistus was awarded the first prize in a national drawing competition by the European Union in Zambia for her outstanding painting themed under sustainable development. She was also awarded first prize in the Stand Together Africa art competition by ONE for the best painting representing unity during the Covid pandemic. Some of Felistus’ work has formed part of public collections such as Justice that is currently displayed at the Supreme Court of Zambia and a commissioned painting of the former speaker of the national assembly Mr. Amusa Mwanamwambwa which is at his office at the National Assembly of Zambia.
To learn more about my creative process click this link or the link below to view my blog! Thank you !
