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.

Netsai Gwata

Netsai Gwata is studying her Master's in Education at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. She has worked with children with autism spectrum and other learning disabilities.

As an educational psychologist, she wants to champion resilience in young women in disadvantaged communities.

She plans to have a wellness center that will cater for various services like assessments, therapy, career guidance and counselling; this center will also create employment for the communities as she will be training therapists to work with children with various learning barriers.

Faith Chihumbiri

Faith is studying Master’s in Environmental Science/ Natural Resources at the University of Stellenbosch. She is part of a team that empowers women encouraging them to try mechanisms often traditionally reserved for men in addressing daily challenges.

Her career plans are to work at local level environmental management (where the rubber hits the road), influence thinking and decision-making in growing context of vertical and horizontal policy integration.

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).

Faith Nyamakwere

Faith is studying a Doctorate in Dairy Science (Agriculture) at the University of Stellenbosch. Her dissertation topic is on the Development of an artisanal cheese and ricotta making model for rural areas of South Africa.

Her commitment to women and children is evident in the work she does. She is the chairperson of Agri-Groomers in her local municipality (Stellenbosch) responsible for guiding the overall direction of company strategies; fundraising at district level; recruiting youth to establish local members, and engaging AgriGroomer’s members in Agri-Groomer’s programs. While Faith was still a student at the University of Fort Hare, she worked as a peer facilitator/tutor.

After completing her Doctorate, Faith plans to take the findings from her thesis and provide training (either in South Africa but preferably in Zimbabwe) in daily routine management practices for dairy farming, including development and implementation aspects, economic and health benefits); such practices can be replicated and knowledge shared.