23/09/2026
Meet Bervis Mwansa - “Uncle B de Don”
Engineer by profession. Adventist by faith. Mentor at heart.
Bervis Mwansa, widely known among the youth as “Uncle B de Don,” is a Registered Professional Engineer specialising in structural and geotechnical engineering, deep foundations, and concrete works. He is also a registered RPAS crew pilot with the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority. Beyond his professional accomplishments, however, is a man whose greatest passion is serving God, developing young people, and making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Born and raised in an Adventist family, Bervis’ personal journey of faith was strengthened when he was baptised on 5 June 1999 by Pastor Andrew Nchepeshi, at a time when Buchi SDA Church was under the Kitwe Central Mission District. Since then, his Christian journey has grown into many years of service to the Church and the wider community.
At the heart of that journey is his family. God has blessed him with a loving wife and four children, two boys and two girls. To Bervis, family, faith, work, and service are not separate parts of life, but responsibilities that collectively shape the person he strives to be.
His service in the Seventh-day Adventist Church has seen him take on various responsibilities over the years, including Adventurer Leader, Personal Ministries Leader, and Church Clerk, among others. He currently serves at Buchi Seventh-day Adventist Church as Church Building Chairperson and Assistant Communication Leader, while also serving as the Mindolo Mission District Adventist Youth Advisor.
His role in communication reflects another side of his personality: a genuine passion for digital media and photography. He enjoys capturing meaningful moments, particularly those connected to the Church, youth ministry, family, and community. For Bervis, photographs are more than images for today; they are memories preserved for future generations, allowing tomorrow’s generation to look back and appreciate the people, events, and stories that shaped those who came before them.
His passion for youth ministry has taken him well beyond the local church. A qualified and certified Master Guide (MG) and Senior Youth Leader (SYL), Bervis serves under the Copperbelt Zambia Conference Adventist Youth Ministries (AYM) as the Copperbelt Region Projects Coordinator. He also sits on several committees supporting youth ministry, projects, leadership, and development.
At the Northern Zambia Union Conference (NZUC) level, he serves as Secretary of a subcommittee involved in preparations for the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID) Pathfinder Camporee in Zimbabwe.
But titles and positions tell only part of his story.
To many young people, he is simply Uncle B de Don — someone who believes in sitting with the youth, listening to their ideas, sharing his experiences, challenging their thinking, and encouraging them to discover what they are capable of becoming.
His passion for youth empowerment extends beyond spiritual development. He wants to see young people grow spiritually, professionally, financially, socially, and physically. He believes that education, skills development, entrepreneurship, hard work, financial responsibility, and service to humanity are important foundations for building a generation capable of strengthening both the Church and society.
He is particularly passionate about seeing young people become self-reliant and financially empowered, not simply for personal success, but so that their success can become a blessing to others. Equally important to him is reaching out to the less privileged, believing that true progress should never leave behind those who need support the most.
Behind his active life of engineering, leadership, youth ministry, and community service is a deep appreciation for prayer and spiritual growth. Among his favourite hymns are SDA Hymnal No. 144, “Higher Ground,” and SDA Hymnal No. 89, “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” Their messages of spiritual growth, perseverance, and communion with God closely reflect the values he seeks to live by.
Two of his favourite quotes further capture his philosophy of life:
“The seeds of today are the flowers of tomorrow.”
“When you are blessed financially, it is not time to raise your standard of living, but to raise your standard of giving.”
For Uncle B de Don, success is about more than qualifications, professional achievements, leadership positions, or financial progress. It is about the person you become, the lives you touch, the people you lift along the way, and the legacy you leave for the next generation.
His vision is to see a generation of God-fearing, educated, skilled, healthy, financially empowered, and compassionate young people who are prepared to use their talents, knowledge, resources, and influence to serve God, strengthen the Church, transform their communities, and reach out to those in need.
And perhaps that is the simplest way to understand the man behind the name “Uncle B de Don”:
Build yourself. Build others. Preserve the memories. Serve God. And when God blesses you, become a blessing to someone else.
Buchi SDA Church - Kitwe Mindolo Mission District- Adventist Youth ministries. Copperbelt Zambia Conference Adventist Youth Ministries
