Nqobile Masondo is one of the beneficiaries of the Graça Machel Scholarship programme who graduated with a doctoral degree in Botany in 2018. She shares her academic journey and her thoughts on the importance of education.
“It was expected of me to go to university. My brothers and sisters expected me to go to university. They told me: you will follow us and we will help you,” Dr Nqobile Masondo- Graça Machel Scholar.
The youngest child of a family of five, education was non-negotiable for Nqobile. Raised by her factory-worker mother and her grandparents in Madadeni township in Newcastle, her family placed a premium on education. Her grandfather sold his cattle to send her eldest brother to university and this set a chain reaction that Nqobile would not escape.
Driven by the love for science, she enrolled for a biochemistry and biology degree at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. With exposure to various subjects such as biochemistry, zoology, marine biology, Nqobile eventually decided to specialise in botany. After the completion of her first degree, Nqobile registered at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) for an honours degree where she remained until she graduated with a PhD in Botany in 2018.
The aim of the Graça Machel Scholarship Programme is to educate and skill a pool of women that will take leadership roles in non-traditional and underrepresented sectors in science, engineering and technology. Nqobile exemplifies this. She says the scholarship provided her with the financial security and freedom to pursue her studies. Being part of a network of scholars has afforded her the opportunity to interact with people of different skills, backgrounds and interests.
“This has afforded me with a keen interest and understanding of how I can use my skills in working with the community, add value in my research and contribute to the growth of the African continent”.
Giving back to her community
Nqobile was one of the few black women in her Honours class and amongst the youngest students during her Master’s degree in UKZN. Her older lab mates grew to become her mentors and saw potential in her. Being confronted with racism and sexism is challenging and can curtail ambition. It is not easy to confront this and a support system is critical and central to one’s success;
“I have met people who have given me the tools to continue with my goals and vision especially in research. I have trained and gotten an opportunity to gain knowledge and a better understanding of myself which has helped me grow professionally. I had people at UKZN who groomed me to be where I am right now. I was provided with support and given resources to be able to achieve the goals that I have.”
She is determined to help as many young black female scientists complete their studies. She is aware of the challenges they face in transitioning to university and keeping up with academic and social pressures. She has started an outreach that helps females to adapt to university. “We want to open an NGO where we engage learners and prepare them for university life, especially those from backgrounds that are not financially secure. Success is not only about financial status but depends on other things like passion,” she said.
“I have grown to have a desire to help those that come after me and to see more women in research and in the sciences, particularly black women”. Education has been an empowering tool for Nqobile and her family and believes many can benefit as she has done: “We cannot put any value to education – once you have a degree no one can take it away from you. I want to give to other people what I have received myself.”
Learn more about our women’s rights programme
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.