Alumni Feature - Bronwyn Kili
Written by Bronwyn Kili, introduction by The Voice Inc.
Posted on 04 February 2019
Last week we shared a story about Ferdinand, our “Rural Economist”. This week we feature another vibrant young TVI alumni (2013) Bronwyn Kili, the “Lyrical Activist”.
Please read, enjoy and celebrate her story.
I like adventure and I love poetry especially writing poems. A favourite poem of mine that resonates on many levels in my life is the “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou. This is a favourite verse of mine:
“Now you understand
Just why my heads not bowed
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud I say,
Its in the click of my heels.
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care,
Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally, phenomenal woman.
That’s me.”
I have always been vocal about many issues in my life especially when it affected me or those whom were close to me. I believe we all become advocates when we are confronted with uncomfortable situations. We choose to rise up or succumb, I guess it was my way to deal with these situations. The earliest activist stint I did was when I was 15 years old. I became an advocate on reproductive health, access to information for young people and HIV/AIDS under the Youth Adolescent Health Club/ARSH project for Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). At first, the task seemed daunting, communicating the message to the same peer group but who else understood us more than “us”.
With advocacy, I had found a voice, a fighting desire within me, but how I would manage or direct it was my next big challenge. A year after, when I was doing my year 10 in Jubilee Secondary School, a group of people came to school. They did an awareness on a bootcamp they were running for high school students, it was called the DREAM Bootcamp. I signed up without a blink and joined The Voice Inc Team for a successful week on Motupore Island. At the boot camp, I found goal setting, I learned how to follow your passion and develop good habits& principle. This was it, I found STRUCTURE in my life! Throughout high school these attributes kept me out of trouble and held me accountable for most of my actions. It taught me that my actions contribute to my country and community in ways that I may not realize. It helped me become bold and fearless and also responsible. I learned to speak out about issues affecting my country as a responsible citizen. This was my zeal.
I went on to do the Clean Glen program as well and was already an active volunteer at TVI. I became a peer educator and trainer for peers in campaigns, I also lead out teams for local UN campaigns and was fortunate to travel to New York, Mexico City, Geneva and Australia for these engagements.
Right now, I am currently studying criminology and law at Bond University in Australia. I have just completed my coursework in criminology and have a few more years to go but this year I have decided to take a gap year to attend to matters back here at home.
I believe we must be bold, brave and fearless for CHANGE. Bold, brave and fearless enough; to take risks that need to be taken; to follow your passion; to allow yourself to learn from mistakes; to have big goals & dreams despite how intimidating they can be and to push other young people to also be bold, brave and fearless to realize their potential.