Akekelwa Chitonka is a dedicated mental health advocate, social entrepreneur, and youth-focused program leader from Zambia with over ten years of experience in child protection, psychosocial support, and community-led health initiatives. She is the Founder and Team Lead of RefuCare Zambia, a youth-driven nonprofit that integrates mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and climate resilience support for adolescents, refugees, and marginalized communities.

Akekelwa has professionally served as a Child Protection Programs Manager with Lifeline/Childline Zambia, where she trained over 200 organizations in safeguarding and led nationwide child protection initiatives under SIDA-CSO funded projects. Her previous roles include Strategic Information Assistant with USAID SAFE, where she strengthened HIV data systems across health facilities, and Sexual and Reproductive Health Coordinator with REPSSI, advancing adolescent health rights and advocacy in Eastern Province.

A certified paraprofessional counselor and Project DPro practitioner, Akekelwa combines frontline experience with strategic program design, digital inclusion, and ethical advocacy. Her current work focuses on leveraging low-tech digital platforms—such as WhatsApp-based counseling and USSD mental health hubs—to provide accessible, culturally sensitive support to young people in informal settlements and displacement contexts.

Committed to intersectional and rights-based approaches, Akekelwa continues to champion digital care equity, youth mental health in climate crises, and community-driven innovation across Zambia and beyond.