Welcoming Two New Trustees to the AdAmi Project
We are excited to announce the appointment of two new trustees to the board of the AdAmi Project. Both women are based in Sierra Leone, so they will bring not only their expertise in the fields of healthcare and public health, but also a deep understanding of the issues facing women in the country.
Rumbidzai Ndungwani (pictured) has 14 years’ experience of working as a public health specialist in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique and Sierra Leone. While her day job is with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, where she advises the country’s Ministry of Health on their immunisation programme, she has also spent the past decade helping orphaned and disadvantaged children access education and flourish at school. One of the achievements she is most proud of, she says, is helping such children ‘become top students at high school and take up places on good programmes at university, including actuarial sciences, medicine and accounting’.
Her passion for seeing lives changed through education is one reason Rumbidzai wanted to be involved with the AdAmi Project. But equally important is her strong belief in the need for female empowerment. ‘For a long time, women in Sierra Leone have been disadvantaged,’ she observes. ‘I believe there is a need to empower women to stand up for themselves and form a united front against abuse’.
Rumbidzai hopes her position on the board of the AdAmi Project will help her tackle some of the key issues young women in the country are facing. Her experience of establishing HIV testing in Swaziland and her research around HPV and family planning, means she is keenly aware of how gender inequalities are played out in sexual relationships, and the potentially catastrophic impacts on their health: ‘Most unmarried mothers are unable to negotiate about the use of condoms for protection against STIs and HIV’. And of course, there is the economic inequality which the Adami Project is most focused on addressing: ‘Left with the burden of taking care of the children alone, single mothers have limited options of the type of work they can do. Out of desperation, single mothers end up doing hard labour for minimal pay. Due to limited financial and familial support, single mothers normally fail to complete their education or training’.
Dr Lisa-Marie Graham, the AdAmi Project’s second new trustee, who works as a medical doctor focusing on family medicine, antenatal care and women’s reproductive health, agrees. As a result of the stigma that young, unmarried mothers face, she says, ‘some girls are ostracised, others are forced to marry the fathers of their children, many are made to drop out of school’. ‘This has long-lasting implications, because without a support system and some form of education or vocational training, young mothers find it extremely difficult to provide for their children and the cycle of exploitation, poverty and poor health outcomes begins.’
Through her work, Lisa-Marie often comes into contact with vulnerable young women who are either pregnant or are new mothers. Wanting to have an even greater impact on such women’s lives inspired her to apply for a place on the AdAmi Project’s board of trustees. ‘I am passionate about the economic advancement of women in Sierra Leone because I have seen the systemic effects of poverty as well as the effects on health’, she explains. ‘Investing in women and girls empowers families, entire communities and society at large. It gives women the ability to make choices about their lives, their bodies and their futures. When women have the ability to generate income, society as a whole moves closer towards alleviating poverty and the many challenges that accompany it.’
As well as speaking five languages and being a trained Aviation Medical Examiner, Lisa-Marie is an entrepreneur, having set up three small businesses while working full time. Last year, she was selected to participate in the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, which seeks to catalyse the continent’s economy through empowering young Africans to start business which in turn create jobs. Lisa-Marie’s range of experience makes her a perfect fit for the AdAmi Project, where many of the young mothers hope to be able to take control of their future by setting up their own enterprises.
One of the secrets to Lisa-Marie’s success also chimes well with how the project achieves its goals: mentorship. Having been involved in several mentorship programmes at school, university, work and through the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, Lisa-Marie has both received and passed on this kind of support and guidance. As a result, she appreciates what a difference these relationships can make to young women’s confidence, skills and future opportunities.
We are excited to see how Rumbidzai and Lisa’s expertise and understanding will shape the direction of the AdAmi project in the years to come, and we’re also confident they will serve as role models to the young women on the programme.