Julieth Gudo

Julieth is a 27-year-old Zimbabwean national studying her Doctorate in Law at the University of Cape Town.

In 2009, she worked and volunteered at the orphanage and women’s shelter in Musina, where she grew up after her arrival in South Africa as a refugee.

Her thesis aims to clarify legal protections for watchdog role of CSOs towards SOE in SA. She wants to generate a focus on closing legal gaps, to ensure better service delivery by government especially to the marginalized, mostly women and children.

Upon completion of her studies, Julieth plans to work with refugees at the South Africa-Zimbabwean border. In her personal capacity, she wants to be involved as a legal counsel, and in collaboration with human rights groups, to ensure justice, and fair government service delivery, especially to vulnerable groups.

Patricia Achieng Otieno

Patricia, a Kenyan national is pursuing her doctorate in Fungal Immunology at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Her commitment to women and children is evident in the time she invests giving motivational talks and teaching life skills to children in primary schools (Kenya). Patricia is also Vice-Chairperson of the Dikakapa Every Day Heroes (DEH), mentoring disadvantaged youth through tutoring and motivational talks (South Africa).

This inspirational woman is also Involved in public science engagement initiatives encouraging young girls to think about a career in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as member of South African Women in Science and Engineering (SA WISE).

On completion of her studies, Patricia plans to teach and research. Start her own Fungal Research Unit in Kenya, focusing on relevant local fungal infections, and empowering women scientists.

Nolwazi Nadia Ncube

Nolwazi is currently studying her Doctorate in Sociology of Reproduction at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She launched a rural outreach program known as “Save the Girl-with-a-Vision”, aimed at reducing schoolgirl absenteeism linked to a lack of access to sanitary wear.

She will also be launching the “Break the Silence” campaign in partnership with the community and local authorities to promote survivors of rape and sexual violence to report their cases to a victim-friendly justice system.

This dynamic young woman plans to specialize in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health and hopes to become a widely cited expert in this field; and wants to expand her NGO activities.

In late April 2018, Nolwazi launched the Let’s Get Padded Up in partnership with the Rotaract Club of Harare West, the Rotaract Club of Borrowdale Brooke and her charity (Save the Girl Child Movement’s) sister organization the Southern African Women’s Institute for Development Affairs (SAWIDA).