Steven Lwendo

Steven Lwendo is a Harvard-educated, tech entrepreneur who took his early love for problem solving as a personal challenge to spearhead innovation in his home of Tanzania and beyond. He is one of many young Africans who made the decision, equipped with skills and experience from the West, to return home and usher in a new age of homegrown change.

What is your definition of changemaker?
A changemaker is a person who aims to address problems from their root, for the greater good of their community. Being in the moment, detecting issues and fixing them in real time while you’re out there in places where technology hasn’t yet penetrated; that is exciting work.

What is the biggest challenge you have experienced as a changemaker?
In this industry, the biggest challenge is also the most rewarding - being able to constantly evolve your way of thinking to address an ever-changing world. The future demands unconventional solutions to the most demanding global challenges, so the goal is always to just tackle whatever challenge comes next with an open mind.

How do you bring about change in your life, in your community, or in your field?
I discovered my favorite part about the change process is the journey from the core findings of the data, to figuring out what went wrong. One of the most interesting parts of this journey is if you are able to be present in real time as errors happen so you can solve the problems on the spot. That can really drive and expand transformation in communities.

What is your hope for the next generation of changemakers?
That they keep striving to find tomorrow’s solutions today!

These answers were collected during an interview conducted by Audaz Mag, listen to the full interview and learn more about Steven’s exciting work with Basix East Africa.

SHOP THE CHANGEMAKERS COLLECTION