One Scholar’s Determination to Give Her Community the Role Models They Deserve

I always think of myself as the fortunate one.

I was raised by wise parents who would tell me that I have the potential to become whatever my four brothers wanted to become in life. As a child, I knew that young boys were supposed go to school and have careers. I knew I could be the one to change the status quo in my community. I wanted to be that woman whom young girls in my community would look up to; a role model for all the young girls coming behind me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t yet aware of the pull-down force my background would exert on me.

Most young Swazis from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those from rural areas like me, don’t make it to tertiary institutions. Many don’t get the good grades required to qualify to go to tertiary institutions. Others are high school drop-outs, especially the 1 in 5 young women forced to leave school because of teenage pregnancy.  Many of these girls grow up in disempowering environments; some of them are orphans; some are abused at a very young age; some of them are from very poor families. But beyond the economics is the absence of mentors and good role models. Young people in rural areas don’t have much exposure to what is happening in the world, the different types of careers that they could pursue, the different universities they could attend, or about the scholarship opportunities that can help them study. Thus, they are not motivated or inspired.  Young people can’t become what they don’t know.

Nondudu at the Stanford Scholars Convening

My educational journey has not been an easy one, but I’m so grateful to God for where I am right now. I grew up in a rural area and walked long distances to school, and sometimes I was even sent back home because of unpaid school fees. Like many young people from rural areas, I didn’t have access to what my peers had access to in urban areas. And when my father passed away 3 days before my final external exams, I understood that sometimes education it isn’t just about what is available to rural youth, but also about the challenges that life throws our way. The loss of my father affected me and my performance in my final year in high school terribly and for the first time, I did poorly in school.

I felt as if my dream of becoming a role model in my community was shattering in my face. But I couldn’t give up on all the young girls who were behind me. I was determined. Thus, I repeated the last year of high school and got good grades. Still – I was rejected by all tertiary institutions in my country and had to stay a whole year at home. All that was going on my mind that year was that I’m not smart enough.

In 2009, the following year, when I was on the verge of losing hope, I was offered a place to study at the University of Swaziland, where I completed a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management. Surprisingly, in 2013 I graduated with a First Class and I was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s award for the being the most outstanding student in the University of Swaziland; the Dean’s Award for being the best student in the Faculty of Agriculture; and the FINCORP prize for being the best student in entrepreneurship in UNISWA, 2013.

Nondudu at the Stanford Scholars Convening

Thereafter, I was selected from numerous applicants to be one of the only 8 post-graduate recipients of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program to study at the University of Pretoria in 2014. In September 2016, I graduated with distinction from the University of Pretoria with a Masters in Environmental Economics. On graduation day, I couldn’t control my tears. That degree made me realize that I had achieved my childhood dream of being a role model.

From where I’m from in rural Swaziland to university, graduate school, academic awards, a very competitive scholarship – this is breaking the record. By overcoming and achieving, I have become a someone the young women in my community can call their mentor. Someone in whose footsteps they can follow.

I’m committed to giving back. I started mentoring young people especially young women from disadvantaged backgrounds. But in 2016 I realized that the number of young people I was mentoring was increasing more than I could handle, and there were still more young people who were asking me to be their mentor. With a vision of seeing all Swazi young people, especially young women from rural areas, continuing with their education no matter their background and achieving their career goals, I decided to start an organization called The Maven Connectors. The Maven Connectors is a non-profit that matches and connects young people with mentors relevant to their career goals, also supporting and encouraging underprivileged young people to continue with their education in Swaziland.

I am also a motivational speaker where I inspire other young people, especial those who are living in disadvantaged communities and attending schools in rural areas, because I understand better the situations they face and I believe they have so much potential to achieve more in life. I also help them to formulate their goals and a way forward towards achieving their goals.  I speak in high schools, primary schools and churches in rural areas and other events to empower and inspire girls and young women that they have potential face all obstacles and achieve their dreams.

In June 2017, I received a Queen’s Young Leaders Award from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of my work to drive change within my community and transform people’s lives. As part of the Queen’s Young Leaders Programme, I have spent time meeting like-minded young leaders from across the Commonwealth, learning from them and their experiences. Those two weeks in England were lively, challenging and exciting at the same time, and more mentorship awaits me as the programme unfolds in the next year.

Meeting Queen Elizabeth was one of the most significant and memorable moments in my life. A young, rural Swazi woman at Buckingham Palace, telling Queen Elizabeth about her work and her vision. Who would have ever thought of that!

Born in Swaziland, Nonduduzo Ndlovu is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar who pursued her graduate studies at the University of Pretoria (2016).