Elmon Mudenda

Elmon was born in Mucheni and is passionate about community development and the conservation of nature and wildlife. He began working in Chizarira National Park soon after school as a casual general worker, then moved into media at a young age. At Radio Dialogue FM in Bulawayo he worked first in a technical role and then as a production assistant, giving communities a voice, and he advocated for the creation of a community radio station.

As a councillor for his community, Elmon co-founded the Mucheni Community Conservancy and led a number of community projects. These include a 20km piped water scheme, a maternity shelter at the local clinic, dip tanks, a community centre, the solarisation of Sinansengwe Secondary School and solarised boreholes in four villages. His years in journalism taught him that any community project must come from the people themselves to be sustainable, and that belief continues to guide his work.