Beyond The Bench Blog-by Judith Mbita

Key: Keep Educating Yourself 🌟
Many of us start learning journeys with big dreams, but life often challenges us to adjust our goals. Personally, there were times I thought, “If I get selected for this, I’ll do my best,” only to face moments where finishing seemed enough.
In December 2024, when I learned I had been selected for the 2025 Kectil Program by The Kectil Program, I made a promise to myself: I would aim for the Certificate of Superior Performance.
The journey wasn’t easy. One of my strategies was to start assignments immediately, tackling a question a day whenever possible. There were hurdles like finishing an assignment but lacking internet to submit it, and having to call my brother to help me upload it.
Each challenge reinforced the power of consistency, determination, and seeking support when needed.
I’m honored to have completed this transformative program and to have earned the Certificate of Superior Performance. This experience has strengthened my commitment to leadership, youth empowerment, and continuous growth, and I’m excited to carry these lessons forward in my journey toward bioinformatics and community impact.
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🔑 KEY – Keep Educating Yourself (Part 2)

As I continue striving to educate myself across different fields and projects, one thing I’ve been noticing is how hard I can be on myself when I make mistakes.

As a crochet artist, a mistake doesn’t mean quitting it often means simply undoing part of the project, correcting the error, and sometimes even starting over. Yet, in learning, work, or applying for opportunities, I don’t always embody this same patience.

Today, I had to pause and remind myself: “Stop being mean to yourself.” As humans, we tend to be kinder and more forgiving of others’ mistakes than our own.

So here’s to embracing mistakes as learning milestones, not as reasons to avoid trying or to be overly self-critical. Every error is just another step on the journey of growth, learning, and mastery.

Cheers to learning, to undoing, and to starting over when needed!

🔑 KEY – Keep Educating Yourself

For the past four years, I’ve lived by this simple mantra: KEY – Keep Educating Yourself. Every year, I challenge myself to explore new opportunities, learn something different, and grow beyond my comfort zone.

Most of my previous trainings focused on leadership and entrepreneurship, shaping me in ways I never imagined. But 2026 is my year of open doors, and I felt it was time to step into a field I’ve always been fascinated by: technology.

In 2022, I participated in the AgriTech Hackathon in Windhoek as a project manager, where our team won third place. That experience taught me how collaboration and technology can create real-world solutions for agriculture.

In 2023, I joined the PEPFAR Zambia Condom Innovation Challenge, where our team designed a digital learning platform giving young people private access to HIV prevention information. This fueled my passion for biotechnology and research, inspiring me to explore how tech can drive healthcare innovation in Zambia and Africa.

And now, I’m thrilled to start my Data Science journey with ALX- Africa on 23 February 2026! 🎉 This isn’t just learning a new skill it’s building a foundation to merge technology, research, and innovation for meaningful impact.

2026 is my year of open doors, and I’m showing up open, committed, and ready to learn.

To anyone reading this: find your KEY. Keep educating yourself, embrace opportunities that challenge you, and watch how new doors open not just for you, but for the impact you can create.

Third time’s a charm

I’m excited (and honestly a little emotional) to be facilitating again with AWEC this time in partnership with Zanaco, the very bank I’ve proudly used since opening my first account.

This Thursday, I’ll be supporting a breakout session during the Zanaco x AWEC MSME Day webinar, where we’ll engage women entrepreneurs in peer-led conversations around one key theme:

“Grow Smarter: Using Customer Insights to Improve and Expand Your Products and Services.”

We’ll start with insights from Dr. Gordon Adomdza, Director at CEIBS Africa, followed by small group sessions where we reflect, share challenges, and co-create solutions.

This will be my third time contributing to an AWEC event, and though I’m still completing my Community Champion Builder project, I’m incredibly grateful to the team for trusting me to facilitate again.

Funny story I recently told a friend to switch to Zanaco because her international bank kept failing her. I said, “Even if war breaks out, a local bank like Zanaco will still be here!” 😂

It’s truly a full-circle moment to be facilitating for a partner I also bank with, and for a cause I deeply care about: women entrepreneurs and community-driven growth.

📍Quick Reflection from Yesterday

Yesterday reminded me just how powerful it is to step outside our comfort zones. For the longest time, I’ve created platforms for others to shine—to speak, to teach, to express. But taking the center stage myself has always felt foreign… until now.

Since February, I’ve been intentionally stretching myself, learning to speak, to teach, and to connect more deeply with young people. It hasn’t been easy, but the impact I’ve seen so far has made every step worth it.

Yesterday’s Masterclass on Mastering Business Problem Solving—a practical guide for women entrepreneurs—pushed me even further. Teaching a younger audience about how world changers like Dr. King, Mandela, Kaunda, and Kofi Annan were problem solvers in their time reminded me that they too had fears, but they showed up anyway.

The energy in the room was electric. My co-speaker delivered such a powerful session on financial management and entrepreneurial systems—it was truly enriching.

I’m still reflecting, but I’ll be writing more soon on how women entrepreneurs are turning their challenges into recovery and growth. One step at a time, I’m learning to embrace the stage. And maybe, just maybe, I belong there too

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