The Graça Machel Trust welcomes Shiphra Chisha as the new Director of Programmes. Ms Chisha’s tenure began on Monday, 23rd May 2022. Her appointment clearly reflects the company’s current state: ready to take on the future. Ms Chisha holds a Master’s in Business Administration, Bachelor of Commerce in Economics from the University of Johannesburg and Strategic Leadership Programme (SLP) from Gordon Institute of Business Science and BRICS China Executive Leadership Development Programme (ELDP).
Among other achievements, Ms Chisha is the President and Co-Founder of the African Women in Business (“AWIB”), a Pan-African organisation representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across industries, with chapters across SADC. African Women in Business provides women with access to trade and investments in eight (8) priority sectors and is currently looking at how women entrepreneurs will benefit from implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). AWIB’s primary objective is to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of its members. In addition, AWIB aims to promote intra-regional trade partnerships for women in business on the continent. She is a Development Expert and Director of MKT Investments, a 15-year consultancy firm established to ensure sustainable socio-economic development (SED) through collaboration with mining companies, government, MSMEs (SMME) and other stakeholders.
She is a member of the SADC Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade Steering Committee and Working Group and a Steering Committee Member of the Trade Forward Southern Africa (TFSA). Advisory Board Member of the University of South African Graduate School of Business Leadership, Advisory Board Member of African Women in Power and Energy, and Pan-African Tech Foundation. Additionally, she has a great understanding of the Trusts’ work, demonstrated through her knowledge of our vision and mission.
Our entire team, Board of Trustees, Networks and partners extend Ms Chisha our warm welcome!
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.