Priscilla Maliwichi (41) is pursuing a doctorate degree in Computer Science at the University of Cape Town.
Priscilla grew up in Malawi to a family of eight children where she was the first born. Her father was a government worker who paid careful attention to Priscilla’s educational needs. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Malawi Polytechnic in Information Technology (IT) which resulted in an IT job at the same university after graduation. This job brought about an opportunity for Priscilla to travel to Germany to earn an advanced diploma in IT. Soon after, she enrolled in a master’s program again at the University of Malawi. She was both a student and an employee at the university.
Priscilla has always demonstrated innovation and eagerness to share knowledge. While she was earning her B.A., she got involved in LinuxChix Africa, an open source software organization. She started a chapter of this organization in Malawi thus becoming its country representative. Through this organization, Priscilla has brought the innovation of open source software to women in secondary schools as well as organize training and workshops around it. Priscilla pays close attention to developing, motivating and encouraging women in technology education and career. She understands women are more intimidated and have more hurdles to overcome in order to succeed in the information technology field.
Priscilla’s life has been met with personal tragedy when she lost her father during college and her mother after her master’s program. This left her with the responsibility of caring for all her seven siblings. Through it all she persevered and learned the importance of women’s health as she believes taking care of a woman means ensuring the well-being of a family. Priscilla hopes to empower women in rural settings to take charge of their health and to become more knowledgeable about health and wellness.
