The Power of Volunteering: Redefining Youth Leadership in Zanzibar | Abdulhamid Mzee | TEDxZanzibar

Abdulhamid Mzee , a social entrepreneur, opens with a challenge: After school, like many youths in Zanzibar, he faced the question, "What next?". He had no roadmap or clear direction, but he had a willingness to serve. Instead of waiting, he volunteered as an English teacher in 2014, a simple act that became his "eye opener". He quickly learned he didn't need a title to make an impact or be "someone important before I started doing important things". This journey of service not only earned him a Youth Leadership Honor Award in 2024, handed over by the President of Zanzibar, but also proved his core message: "Leadership does not begin when someone gives you a title. It actually begins the moment you decide to serve".

This powerful philosophy transformed the lives of others, too. He shares the stories of Maher, a young man with albinism who gained confidence and was hired by the organization he volunteered for, and Faizan Nassor, who became an employee at Pamoja Youth Initiative and now trains youth in digital skills. Abdulhamid Mzee argues that volunteering is a "free learning" experience where youth acquire essential skills like resilience, empathy, and teamwork—skills that "no textbook can fully understand". Since nearly 90% of competitive jobs require one to five years of experience, volunteerism is placed "at the very center of career readiness". He issues a final challenge: The future of Zanzibar will not be shaped by those who sit in offices, but by those who "roll up their sleeves, step in communities, give out their energy, time, and heart". Watch now to discover the code that proves volunteering opens the door, and hard work keeps it open.
At 29, Abdulhamid Mzee is a standout figure in youth leadership in Zanzibar, dedicated to fostering positive change. In 2023, he served as President of the Tanzania Model United Nations, where his exceptional leadership drove unprecedented engagement. During his tenure, he prioritized inclusivity, ensuring young voices from diverse backgrounds were heard while providing a vibrant platform for discussing global solutions.

Beyond the Model UN, Abdulhamid is the Co-Founder and Program Director of Zanchangemakers, an organization born from a USAID-funded Ideathon.Under his guidance, the organization secured the Outstanding Youth in Education award at the 2022 Zanzibar Youth Awards.

He received the Youth Leadership Honor at the Extraordinary Youth Awards. Abdulhamid remains a beacon of hope, striving to cultivate a generation of proactive and innovative young leaders across Zanzibar. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx