Research Reveals Question Marks Over Efficacy of HIV “Wonder Drug”
Dr Jennifer Giandhari generating genomes for the study in the KRISP laboratory at UKZN’s Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine.Research during a joint study by international and South African scientists, including several from UKZN, has established that Dolutegravir - regarded as a “wonder drug” in the fight against HIV - might not be as effective in a significant number of patients who are resistant to another important class of antiretroviral drugs.
As part of this study, scientists from the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) at UKZN, worked day and night to produce more than 1 000 virus genomes in a few weeks. ‘We were very excited to be a part of this project as it focused on answering one of the most important questions on anti-viral drug resistance in South Africa and the world,’ said Director of KRISP, Professor Tulio de Oliveira.
In 2019, the World Health Organization began to recommend Dolutegravir as the preferred first-line treatment for HIV in most populations in the world. Dolutegravir was dubbed a “wonder drug” because it was safe, potent and cost-effective and scientists had seen no resistance against it in clinical trials. However, there was little data on the success of Dolutegravir against circulating strains of HIV in Africa.
In the study published on World AIDS Day 2020 in the Nature Communications journal, an international team of researchers from South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States examined the genetic code of more than 1 000 HIV genomes to determine if drug resistance mutations in 874 volunteers living with HIV, affected their treatment success. The individuals were enrolled in a clinical trial for people initiating HIV treatment to compare two drug regimens: Efavirenz, non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) and prior first-line therapy in the region, and Dolutegravir.
Said Professor Ravi Gupta of the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge in England: ‘These results are a huge concern. Dolutegravir was very much seen as a “wonder drug”, but our study suggests it might not be as effective in a significant number of patients who are resistant to another important class of antiretroviral drugs.’
The study showcased the capacity and expertise of local, high-throughput genomic research facilities, such as KRISP, to quickly produce and analyse the data needed to answer such important questions in the fight against the HIV epidemic. ‘This is one of the first times such a large amount of data has been produced and analysed in such a short space of time on the African continent,’ said de Oliveira. ‘The South African government has invested millions of rands to upscale genomic research and infrastructure in the country. It is great to see this investment starting to bear fruit,’ he added.
The goal of this study was to determine whether drug resistance to a previous therapy prior to starting treatment affected treatment success (suppression of the virus in the blood) over the first two years of therapy with both of these two regimens.
As expected, the presence of drug resistance substantially reduced the chances of treatment success in people taking Efavirenz, as a previous therapy. The trial revealed the successful suppression of the virus over 96 weeks in 65% of participants compared to 85% of non-resistant individuals. However, unexpectedly, the same pattern was true for individuals taking Dolutegravir-based treatments: 66% of those with Efavirenz resistance mutations remained suppressed over 96 weeks compared to 84% of those without the mutations. These relationships held true after accounting for other factors, such as treatment adherence.
‘We fully expected Efavirenz to be less effective among patients’ HIV strains resistant to NNRTIs,’ said Dr Mark Siedner, faculty member at the Africa Health Research Institute in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in the United States.
‘What took us completely by surprise was that Dolutegravir, a different class of drug which is generally effective in the face of drug resistance, would also be less effective in people with these resistant strains.’
‘We are working now to tease out if this was due to the virus or the participants - for instance, if people with resistance are less likely to take their pills regularly. Either way, if this pattern holds true, it could have far reaching impacts on our predictions of long-term treatment control for millions of people taking Dolutegravir in the region.’
In addition to HIV-1, the genomic infrastructure at KRISP at UKZN is also being used for other pathogens that affect Africa, such as Hepatitis B and C and COVID-19.
KRISP also used its genomics surveillance infrastructure to produce thousands of SARS-CoV-2 genomes. This genomics surveillance in Africa is proving very useful in understanding the effectiveness of therapies and vaccines for treating many viral infections. A current programme involving the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is injecting 100 million dollars to make genomics surveillance part of routine virus response in Africa.
Words: Tulio de Oliveira
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .How Was Your 2020? UKZN Staff Have Their Say
This word cloud represents responses received to one of the questions posed in the survey: ‘In a few words, please describe your 2020?’UKZN recently held a survey to gauge staff members’ readiness for and understanding of Project Renewal - an initiative that will allow the University to embark on a journey of renewal, exploring the best way to deliver its mandate in future.
The Executive Director (Acting) of the University’s Corporate Relations Division, Ms Normah Zondo, said the survey was invaluable as it provided crucial data on staff members’ experiences in 2020 and would ensure communications on the project were clear and informative.
‘In a year fraught with stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we value feedback from our colleagues and have noted that there is a mix of descriptions ranging from stressful, challenging, frustrating and demanding, to productive, learning new skills, and adapting to new ways of work in a pandemic,’ said Zondo.
A communique issued from the desk of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Nana Poku, explained the aims of the project. ‘Our intention is to reverse the University’s current trajectory which threatens the viability of the Institution and all of our jobs.
‘We have a most remarkable collection of talents and strengths which are the envy of our sister universities in South Africa,’ said Poku.
‘We also have a commitment to further the nation’s wider transformation agenda and support the many thousands of students who come within the compass of our care. This is our privilege as well as our responsibility,’ he added.
Zondo thanked everyone who participated in the survey and wished the University community well over the festive season. ‘Celebrate responsibly and follow COVID-19 protocols. Our very best wishes to you and your families - happy holidays!’
Words: Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
Image: Supplied
author : .author email : .Community Engagement at UKZN Examined during Webinar
Participants in the UKZN webinar (from left) Professor Nana Poku, Professor Bernhard Gaede, Dr Ingrid Bamberg, Professor Betty Mubangizi, Professor Mershen Pillay and Professor Relebohile Moletsane.Community Engagement at UKZN: Current Practices, Future Directions was the title of a webinar hosted by the University’s Corporate Relations Division.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Nana Poku, said the University needed a normative mandate to ‘bring purpose and presence, and not just ideas and intent, to the communities it serves.’
Poku said it was imperative to conceptualise UKZN purposefully in order to build capacity in the community. ‘We need to purposefully put strategies and processes in place that seek to better the communities immediately around our physical space.’
‘How, for example, are informal settlements around the University being supported by the University in terms of better understanding, better service provision and better health provision outcomes?’
Poku also spoke about research stressing that it needed to be conducted with emphasis on our localities. ‘We probably know less about our localities than we do about the continent or indeed the global space at large,’ he said.
He added that the University needed to support young people strategically and holistically. ‘Developing intellectually stimulated minds must be borne by the University.’
Poku said the COVID-19 pandemic had illustrated the importance of building societal relationships around communities. ‘I’m appealing to you, at this stage, to embolden you to dream big and to enable the Institution through your endeavours, to establish a coherent set of strategies that we can begin to implement.’
Presenters at the webinar included the Head of the Department of Family Medicine, Professor Bernhard Gaede; Andrew Mellon Fellow at the Centre for Critical Research on Race and Identity, Dr Ingrid Bamberg; SARChI Chair in Sustainable Rural Development, Professor Betty Mubangizi, and audiologist and speech therapist, Professor Mershen Pillay.
Gaede and Bamberg co-presented on Understanding and Conceptualising Community and Community Engagement: Challenges and Perspectives, with Gaede paving the way for the debate by highlighting the Homestay Project for Medical students where students have an opportunity to live in the community. He emphasised the importance of ‘locating community engagement projects in the community.’
Bamberg explored the notion of community, underscoring the importance of social cohesion and care as a value or practice. ‘Assuming we are a community doesn’t really help to consolidate cohesion at university which enables us to engage outside and to collaborate more effectively and smoothly,’ she said.
Mubangizi spoke on initiatives at the University including the Law Clinic, which provides specialised legal services to indigent clients and marginalised communities. She called for a dedicated portfolio on community engagement and looked at community engagement for academic promotion.
Pillay examined university-community engagement as a portal for change in research, teaching and learning. He said conflict should be viewed not as a problem but as being necessary for transformation and suggested ‘stepping out of this pandemic’ and using it as a ‘transformative moment.’
Pillay highlighted community engagement initiatives at the Warwick Triangle Market which included clinical services such as hearing screening and diagnosis by audiologists. He said they had started conversations with traders in the market place which had resulted in a “humanisation of the sound mapping process”.
The debate was facilitated by Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Social Cohesion Professor Relebohile Moletsane who succinctly captured the presentations saying: ‘Community engagement needs to be reciprocal, it needs to be scholarly and thirdly, it needs to be involved in generating knowledge with, rather than on, the community.’
Words: Raylene Captain Hasthibeer
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .Student Develops Maths App During Lockdown
Mr Sizwe Matenjwa developed a mathematics app.Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) “boffin” Mr Sizwe Matenjwa turned a negative into a positive using time during the COVID-19 crisis to create a Mathematics App.
Concerned about limited access to learning materials available to learners amid the nation-wide lockdown, the Bachelor of Commerce student developed the Maths Hyper Learn App that helps learners practise mathematical skills and also prepare for psychometric tests and for writing National Benchmark Tests (NBT). The App also enables learners from the age of seven as well as adults to learn fast numerical operations.
Key benefits of the App for learners include methods to learn times tables, and fun ways to practise addition, subtraction, multiplication, square root, and factoring, among other mathematical problems. The App features games users can play against other users in dual mode to test what they have learned. There are over 500 questions per section which can be used to test mathematical competences and users can use the reminder feature to set practice times. The App also caters for adults in preparation for numerical psychometric tests.
Matenjwa says App development is an arduous journey which involves App design before development which can take months and then the unit has to undergo testing and review processes by selected users until finally it needs to be uploaded to Google Play Store which requires licences. ‘Doing IS&T at UKZN prepared me for the development of the App as most design processes were actually taught in numerous modules in IS&T.’ Matenjwa explored mobile App development on his own.
Matenjwa’s passion for IS&T is driven by the endless possibilities technology can bring to Africa. ‘I’ve always believed technology is the sole key that will advance us as Africans and inevitably unite us,’ he said.
He encouraged high school learners to evaluate their career choices carefully and not let anyone choose the path for them. ‘Do not be scared to make mistakes or try something new as there is always a greater lesson to be learnt.’
To download the Maths Hyper Learn App, visit: https://tinyurl.com/y4qkndv3
Words: Hazel Langa
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Online Teaching Platforms Ideal for Medical Training
Performing a laparoscopic procedure are (from left) scrub nurse, Mr Jabulani Mthembu; Dr Maheshwar Naidoo; and Dr Kenny Mngoma.General surgeons need to be aware that the learning arena has changed dramatically due to COVID-19, says UKZN lecturer and Head of Surgery at Ngwelezana Hospital in Empangeni, Dr Maheshwar Naidoo.
Naidoo believes that teaching will never be the same again and that online methods need to be embraced and optimised to maintain the quality of general surgeons being trained locally and abroad.
Naidoo has been running an ongoing online teaching programme for general surgery registrars since 2018 - well before the pandemic hit and prior to the sudden increase in popularity of electronic facilities such as Zoom. He used to live stream his weekly lectures on YouTube.
During an interview he said: ‘My reason for using online teaching platforms as far back as 2018 was because I live in Richards Bay which is 180km from Durban. I was doing face-to-face teaching for general surgery registrars at UKZN but found that getting everyone together at a fixed time was difficult. Because I only came to Durban once a week, it was not easy to reschedule lectures and I discovered that the surgery registrars were missing out.’
Naidoo says he started experimenting with the various online teaching platforms and set up a course on Operative Surgery on teachable.com (surgreg.teachable.com) which mainly contains recorded lectures. He started weekly online lectures using PowerPoint presentations together with videos of his lectures in real time. ‘Initially, I lectured UKZN registrars only but as more and more registrars heard about my online teaching, many in general surgery from across the country joined the classes,’ said Naidoo.
‘The Zoom platform has become very popular because of restrictions created by the pandemic. The advantage of Zoom is that it allows the audience to interact with the presenter/lecturer. When I started in 2018, I had between five and eight UKZN registrars participating in the online lectures. This number has grown to a total of around 150 although the average number of participants is about 50 to 60 a week. All the online lectures are recorded so are available later.’
Naidoo, who is from a family of academics most of whom have trained at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, was attracted to general surgery from his fourth-year in Medical School. Undergraduate training at King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban inspired him to specialise in general surgery.
He qualified as a surgeon in 2003 and spent some time in private practice in Empangeni, re-joining public service in 2011 and has been at Ngwelezana Hospital ever since. Naidoo has an interest in minimal access surgery and has a Fellowship in Minimal Access Surgery qualification.
He is recognised as having worked tirelessly in improving the academic experience for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as “the patient experience”. From 2016, Naidoo has been an undergraduate lecturer for final-year Medical students conducting face-to-face lectures and tutorials which he now gives online.
He was also appointed UKZN co-ordinator responsible for teaching in the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Collaboration programme (NMFC) involving peripheral teaching sites such as the Ngwelezana, Stanger and Port Shepstone hospitals.
He has been intensely involved in training postgraduate students and registrars running a laparoscopy virtual training course within the Department of Surgery between 2016 and 2017. At Ngwelezana Hospital, Naidoo promoted research and supervised several junior medical officers.
Naidoo is currently collecting and collating data for his PhD titled: An Approach to Improving the Uptake of Laparoscopic Appendectomy in Public service in KwaZulu-Natal, which he intends completing within the next three years.
‘As a School of Clinical Medicine, we acknowledge and celebrate Naidoo’s determination, hard work and leadership and his contribution in the Department of General Surgery,’ said Head and Dean of the School of Clinical Medicine, Professor Ncoza Dlova.
Words: Lihle Sosibo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Mourns Death of Aquatic Biology Expert
Professor Olaf Weyl.UKZN - including those in its School of Life Sciences - is mourning the death of Honorary Research Fellow Professor Olaf Weyl, who was Chief Scientist and Research Chair for Inland Fisheries and Freshwater Ecology at the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB).
Born in Germany, Weyl grew up in southern Africa and completed his Bachelor of Science in Geography and Zoology and his Bachelor of Science Honours in Ichthyology Fisheries Science at Rhodes University.
Continuing with postgraduate studies through Rhodes University, he completed his PhD on the dynamics of a subtropical lake fishery in central Mozambique while working for the Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) Mozambique Agricultural and Rural Reconstruction Programme, going on to manage fisheries research in Malawi for GTZ and the Government’s National Aquatic Resource Management Programme.
He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher and senior lecturer at Rhodes University, joining the SAIAB in 2009 where he focused his research on the impact of alien fishes and the influence of anthropogenic factors on aquatic ecosystems. Working on freshwater ecosystems in several African countries including Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa, he used his multidisciplinary research to better inform management of Africa’s aquatic biodiversity by investigating natural systems and processes as well as on understanding how humans alter and benefit from aquatic systems.
With an NRF C2 rating, Weyl worked on extensive invasive fish related projects, provided policy support concerning inland fisheries and legislation on alien fish management, and worked on developing decision-making tools for nature conservation departments.
He was a lead author and expert on reports for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), served on editorial boards of several journals, and provided expert advice while collaborating with a wide variety of academic and conservation institutions and organisations in South Africa, Malawi, Namibia and Germany.
Weyl began collaborating with researchers at UKZN around the time he joined SAIAB, and from 2017, as one of the few researchers who focused on freshwater eels, he mentored postdoctoral researcher Dr Céline Hanzen during her PhD research on the diversity, distribution and spatial ecology of freshwater eels in South Africa. Hanzen went on to design a catchment scale study of eel spatial ecology in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal with Weyl and his team, and collaborated with him on a review for a book on global eel sciences.
Hanzen remembered Weyl as a great supporter and mentor, whose feedback on and input into her work aided her learning. She praised his candour, caring qualities and sense of humour, saying the aquatic sciences students he co-supervised or mentored are his legacy.
Weyl passed away while seeking new trout genetics sampling sites in Hogsback. He leaves his wife, Michelle, twin daughters Olivia and Philippa, and his parents and siblings.
‘He was an excellent fish biologist and will be a great loss,’ said Professor Colleen Downs, South African Research Chair in Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
Honorary Research Fellow at UKZN and senior lecturer at the University of Mpumalanga, Dr Gordon O’Brien, remembered Weyl for championing excellent science and putting southern Africa on the map in terms of aquatic biodiversity.
‘He has made noticeable contributions to the inland fisheries and ichthyology research of UKZN researchers and regional scientists, and contributed to national policies and improved the balance between the use and protection of natural resources. He has contributed directly to the elucidation of the biology and ecology of many fishes and how all Africans use and can benefit from the ecosystems that they occur in,’ said O’Brien.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
author : .author email : .Disability Support Unit Hosts Capacity-Building Workshop
Ms Fatima Timol (left) and Ms Angie Govindsami.UKZN’s Disability Support Unit (DSU) hosted a capacity-building workshop on the Zoom platform for staff on Thursday, 26 November 2020.
Audiologist and speech therapist Ms Fatima Timol examined the Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), a condition that affects a person’s ability to understand sounds, including the spoken word. ‘People with APD may hear speech as garbled,’ said Timol.
‘It can manifest as poor listening skills, poor reading comprehension or lots of miscommunication,’ she said, which might have consequences at home, at school or university, or in the workplace. ‘It can cause trouble with your co-workers, your partners, your family and friends,’ she said.
The causes of APD include hereditary abnormalities, developmental disorders and traumatic brain injury.
‘The hallmark deficit is difficulty listening in the presence of background noise,’ said Timol. Symptoms include mishearing things, struggling to remember spoken information and trouble taking notes and listening at the same time.
Lecture venues with lots of background noise and poor acoustics can be challenging for students with APD. Timol suggested a simple solution of placing a carpet where the lecturer stands to improve the acoustics in the room and keeping the classroom reasonably quiet. She recommended using over the ear headphones when listening to online lectures to block out ambient noise.
Timol, who previously worked at UKZN’s Audiology Department and is currently in private practice, advised lecturers to relook at how lectures were presented, slowdown their rate of speech, use repetition, rephrase and keep messages shorter. She also recommended that students have their hearing assessed regularly.
UKZN’s Disability Co-ordinator on the Westville campus Dr Faaiza Shaikh, who has been diagnosed with APD, relayed the difficulties experienced by a student on the Westville campus during lockdown. Challenges included background noises and interruptions in the home environment and attending lectures online. Shaikh said the student used earplugs, studied at a library near her home and emailed lecturers for clarity after Zoom online sessions.
The branch manager of the Down Syndrome Association KZN (DSA-KZN), Ms Angie Govindsami, presented on Understanding Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities.
Govindsami, who is the mother of a child with Down syndrome, spoke on the characteristics and risks of developing Down syndrome. She said that children with the condition exhibited speech difficulties and slower developmental milestones.
Govindsami said that DSA-KZN establishes and promotes support for people with Down syndrome and their families to enable them to reach their full potential. She stressed the importance of accepting Down syndrome children into the family and involving them in day-to-day activities for the growth and development of the child. ‘Life is about abilities and not disabilities,’ she said.
She said the organisation needed financial assistance as they had been operating with a zero balance for several years. She appealed to the University community to get involved and contribute to helping families affected by Down syndrome in the province.
DSU Co-ordinator on the Pietermaritzburg campus Mr Mongezi Zondo focused on conflict in the workplace by airing informative videos including: Dealing with Conflict in the Workplace: How to be a Rockstar Leader in your Industry. The video highlighted how conflict can be sparked by personality clashes and interdependence. ‘Sadly, most people never learn the art of resolving differences and turning them into successful conversations; which can trap them in a life of angst, negativity and bitterness,’ said the narrator.
The second video, a TedX talk titled: Conflict - Use It, Don’t Defuse It, presented by CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke, introduced the revolutionary concept of viewing conflict as an energy source for creativity, innovation and transformation.
Both videos were well received by the online audience who strongly recommended that University colleagues view them as the tips and advice they relayed could be very useful in the work environment.
The links to the videos:
• Dealing with Conflict in the Workplace: How to be a Rock Star Leader in your Industry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7-bbd1F9bk
• Conflict - Use It, Don’t Defuse It: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o97fVGTjE4w
The workshop was hosted by Shaikh, Zondo and Mr Nevil Balakrishna.
Words: Raylene Captain Hasthibeer
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .International Jet Engine Expert Joins UKZN
Professor Glen Snedden joins the Discipline of Mechanical Engineering.Click here for isiZulu version
The Discipline of Mechanical Engineering has been boosted by the acquisition of alumnus and former research leader at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Professor Glen Snedden.
A specialist in gas turbines, Snedden is recognised nationally and internationally for his expertise, and joins not only the Discipline of Mechanical Engineering, but also the management team of UKZN’s Aerospace Systems Research Group (ASReG).
Inspired by aerospace and aeronautical engineering from boyhood, tales about World War 2 Spitfires led Snedden to investigate the work of Spitfire designer RJ Michell, inventor of the gas turbine engine Frank Whittle, and Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb and other innovations.
Matriculating from Westville Boys’ High School in Durban, Snedden enrolled at the then University of Natal to study Mechanical Engineering, getting involved in any course which would take him closer to aircraft even when a future in aeronautical engineering in South Africa seemed uncertain. He went on to complete his master’s degree at the University under the supervision of Professor Jeff Bindon and Professor Graham Smith.
Snedden was at the CSIR for almost 25 years working on a variety of South African Air Force aircraft engines and ran the transonic wind tunnel before managing his own research groups. He completed a PhD through Durham University in England while working.
At the CSIR, Snedden focused mainly on military projects, working with major programmes and companies that included the Société Nationale d'études et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation (SNECMA), Klimov and Rolls Royce, and served as the national representative on behalf of the local division of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAS) to the International Society of Air Breathing Engines (ISABE). He also worked on major European Union-funded programmes on gas turbine technology, contributing to the development of modern airline engines.
Snedden is a past president and current member of the Council of the Aeronautical Society of South Africa, he serves on the committee of the International Society of Air Breathing Engines (ISABE), is a Fellow of the RAS and was recently appointed to the Editorial Board of the RAS’s Aeronautical Journal, the oldest aeronautical journal still in publication.
His work at the CSIR included developing research programmes with several universities on gas turbines, turbopumps, compressor design, heat transfer, materials and other turbomachinery-related topics. Snedden lectured and supervised students at the University of Johannesburg, the University of Pretoria and the Tshwane University of Technology.
When CSIR funding models for these research programmes tapered off, Snedden realised the value of his work with universities, and decided to join UKZN.
Grateful for the strengths of the Discipline and research group he has joined at UKZN, Snedden aims to work with colleagues to develop South Africa’s first liquid-fuelled rocket, and is channelling his turbomachinery knowledge into turbopumps. He is also working with local companies on developing more efficient mine ventilation fans.
Snedden is currently exploring opportunities to work on applications for the gas turbines he is passionate about, for example in military applications and for emergency power generation and recreational uses. Projects using micro gas turbines are, he says, an ideal vehicle to train students to contribute to innovations in major global companies.
‘The aerospace industry has been seen as a strong growth industry that spills technology over into other sectors, and while COVID-19 may have set this sector back, the space industry is currently going through a boom, led by Space X. It is my hope that it will be UKZN and the AsReG team that puts South Africa on the map in these areas,’ he added.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Celebrates 15th Annual African Cultural Calabash
Artists and musicians who performed at the African Cultural Calabash.African Music and Dance (AMD) third-year students under the directorship of senior lecturer Dr Patricia Opondo hosted a successful 15th Annual African Cultural Calabash Festival under the umbrella of the African Music Project.
The free event was online on the African Music Project Facebook Page which is open to the general public.
The theme for this year’s festival was UBUMBANO – Africa Unite!
Mr Anele Gansa of the Calabash Organising Committee said: ‘This year’s theme celebrates pride in promoting African cultural heritage, which cultivates a spirit of becoming greater human beings by uniting us, especially through music and dance. With this theme we hope to bring back love, unity and a sense of Ubuntu.’
The artist line-up included Glo Mapenzi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, known for his sweet guitar sounds and vocals. Mapenzi is a soulful singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and recording artist. His headline piece was a fusion of South African and Congolese grooves, titled Africa Unite!
Young generation guitarist Hloniphani Mthethwa, known by his stage name HlonipaniArt, thrilled the audience with his guitar riffs. He is making headlines locally and internationally.
Another stellar act was Red Lights, a vocal acapella ensemble comprising mainly UKZN students. They presented an enchanting set of acapella songs with beautiful arrangements and choreography.
UKZN’s African Music and Dance third-year class presented a set of Chopi and Macua choreographies and songs from Mozambique which synthesise a variety of music and dance styles, a fusion that demonstrates both the roots of African people and modern applications of traditional music.
Bringing the concert to a close and enthralling audiences were the Kangaroo Zulu Dancers who showcased their indlamu choreographies and acrobatic routines. Their gravity defying acts have taken them to a variety of countries, and seen them win countless Zulu Dance competitions.
Ms Nomthandazo Makhanya of the Calabash Organising Committee prepared the African cuisine that formed part of the Calabash festivities. ‘We chose African traditional foods such as isigwaqane, usu (tripe), ujeqe (steamed bread), isitambu (samp), amadumbe and ubhatata. Since the concert showcases African authenticity, these dishes fitted perfectly.’
Opondo said: ‘Curating the 2020 edition of the Calabash was a challenge in light of the global pandemic but I’m so pleased that we managed to put together a wonderful programme through digital streaming of the festival, which gives us a broader, global reach.’
The festival highlight was the headline song Umoja Africa Unite, especially composed for this year’s calabash edition by Glo Mapenzi.
‘Students joined him on stage waving African flags and in a variety of African attire to celebrate diversity and unity as Africans. To further this, there was a fashion show highlighting some of the diverse African costumes in the UKZN African Music and Dance Programme.
‘A memorable Calabash edition indeed, and the beginning of many new ways of celebrating our rich African heritage,’ added Opondo.
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini
author : .author email : .Law Students Advocate for Persons Living with Disabilities
Mr Thabo Magubane and Ms Lydia Mabaudi.Third-year Law students Mr Thabo Magubane and Ms Lydia Mabaudi are advancing research in the area of law and technology and promoting advocacy for people living with disabilities.
Under the mentorship of Law academic Advocate Victoria Balogun-Fatokun, Magubane is publishing research papers that focus on the use of technology to enhance access to justice and healthcare, while Mabaudi is actively advocating for social justice.
Magubane who is an Alibaba Cloud specialist trainee has co-authored and presented a paper with Balogun-Fatokun.
The paper titled: Overcoming Barriers to Safe Abortion in Africa: The Role of Technology, which was recently presented at the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Human Rights, explored the use of technological applications such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 5G to mitigate unsafe medical practices that hinder women’s right to safe abortion.
‘Unsafe abortions are one of many pandemics that affect the sub-Saharan African region. This is a result of many factors which include poor infrastructure, a lack of effective training of those that perform the procedure, and most importantly, a large backlog in public healthcare centres. AI and 5G are proposed as mitigating tools, especially in terms of capturing, processing, and transferal of medical data and conducting remote surgical procedures,’ explained Magubane.
Thabo and Lydia made submissions at a webinar titled COVID-19: Implications for persons living with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the way forward, hosted by UKZN. It calls on software developers and engineers to bear in mind people living with disabilities when designing online platforms for working and learning.
Having served as the Community Development Officer of Students for Law and Social Justice which promotes access to justice for all, Mabaudi is passionate about social justice. She spoke on the effects of COVID-19 on persons living with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the way forward.
‘I emphasised the need to include people living with disabilities in policy development and called on educators to be more accommodating when it comes to disabled persons. Society also needs to be conscientised on the daily struggles of people living with disabilities as some people live with can be termed invisible disability and this makes it even harder for them to be heard,’ she said.
Balogun-Fatokun said she is proud to have Magubane and Mabaudi as mentees. ‘I advocate for mentoring programmes across our programmes as such can really help channel our students in the right direction,’ she said.
‘Many people don’t like mentoring because no payment is attached but life should not always be about money or reward. Many of the youth just need to be guided and led in the right direction. By also letting them lead, they become more confident.’
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN’s Department of Oncology Now Accredited to Train Registrars
Dr Shona Bhadree with the linear accelerator machine used to provide radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer.UKZN’s Department of Oncology has received accreditation for the training of Durban-based registrars from next year.
The Department now looks forward to expanding its services, recruiting more permanent specialists and registrars, engaging in active research and establishing oncology outreach programmes.
In 2017, UKZN’s Oncology Department in Durban suffered a mass exodus of oncologists, leaving it without any permanent specialists for more than a year, resulting in a loss of accreditation to train registrars; with those remaining forced to complete their training in other provinces. This department, based at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH) and Addington Hospital, is the largest and busiest oncology unit in KwaZulu-Natal.
‘It has been a tough and challenging journey and while I am proud of how far we have come, we still do have a long way to go,’ said the Head of the Clinical Unit for the Oncology departments at Addington and IALCH, Dr Shona Bhadree. ‘Over the last two years we have been able to catch up with the backlog of oncology patients awaiting treatment with the help of a dedicated team of medical officers and sessional private doctors.’
According to Bhadree, the Oncology department has in the last year recruited three full-time permanent oncologists and hopes to employ more in the near future. Under her leadership they have re-established all their multidisciplinary networks with the various departments involved in oncology care.
Bhadree, who was appointed Head of the Clinical Unit in 2018, said she joined the Department with the aim of helping to steer it in the right direction - to recruit permanent oncologists, regain teaching accreditation and most importantly, provide and improve the State’s oncology services.
During this time, she worked closely with the hospital management at IALCH to recruit staff and re-establish the medical and radiation oncology services. With the aid of the deputy director for radiotherapy in Durban, Ms Thabisile Hlengwa, they have been able to build up radiation services and have caught up with the backlog of patients awaiting treatment.
‘A teaching programme has been set up for junior medical officers in the Department and this will be expanded as we welcome our first lot of registrars in 2021,’ said Bhadree.
‘As a Department, we are very excited to be moving in the right direction. Being accredited to train registrars is very encouraging. It allows us to attract more doctors to the Unit, to reward our current medical officers with the opportunity to specialise, and provide the means by which we can sustain services in the future. The added opportunities for research and academic growth are very exciting for all our doctors,’ she said.
Words: Lihle Sosibo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week
Scenes from the Re-Defining Varsity Entrepreneurship event.In celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week, UKZN InQubate hosted a three-day virtual event themed: Re-Defining Varsity Entrepreneurship.
With the spotlight on empowering student entrepreneurs, UKZN’s InQubate Director Ms Suvina Singh welcomed everyone and spoke about ENSPIRETM, a student entrepreneurship skills programme launched in 2018 as a University community aiming to join a global network of entrepreneurs.
Singh commended entrepreneurs for making it through the difficult times caused by COVID-19 and encouraged them to improve every day. Citing a quote from master entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson she said: ‘Each one of us has the potential to be an entrepreneur and to make a positive change in our communities.’
The host for the event was UKZN alumnus, author and entrepreneur Ms Mbali Bhengu who welcomed the first speaker, Miss South Africa 2016, Ms Ntandoyenkosi Kunene.
Discussing how entrepreneurs can start their businesses, Kunene said the focal point should be to ‘start now with what you have and build from there.’
Focusing on her benchmark for entrepreneurship, Kunene praised Basetsana Kumalo and Portia M, saying they had created businesses and grown them into an empire. ‘I want to build things that last - a business that lives beyond me and employs my family and the community,’ said Kunene.
She urged universities to harness the fire in student entrepreneurs by giving them in-depth knowledge and access to mentorship.
Deputy Director for Youth Economic Empowerment at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development Tourism and Environment Affairs (EDTEA) Ms Nomy Donaldson, focused on the KZN Youth Fund grant funding project which is set to finance young entrepreneurs aged between 18-35 with amounts of between R50 000 and R2 million. Donaldson outlined how recipients of the grant were not required to pay back anything to the department and how they were supported for three years through mentorship.
She said there were other options for financial backing such as the Operation Vula Fund and service offerings through business planning workshops offered by her department. She encouraged women entrepreneurs to make use of these services.
Other speakers included hospitality entrepreneur Ms Shireen Eraman and digital marketing pioneer Mr Bella Victor.
The second day of the event featured Marc Percy, owner of Marc Percy and brand stylist for the popular TV show Uzalo and media personalities like Khaya Mthethwa, Zakes Bantwini and Mr Percy Ngcongo.
Assistant General Manager-Enterprise Development at Business Partners Ms Petro Bothma delivered a presentation on SME Toolkit, saying it contained valuable products for entrepreneurs such as business and marketing plan templates as well as information on marketing, sales, accounting and finance. She also showed participants around the SME Toolkit website.
Property tycoon Mr Skhulile Ndlovu and founder of Dlamini Biotechnology Laboratories Ms Nomandla Ngcoya shared their entrepreneurial stories.
Seasoned businessman and founder of Lusizo IT Solutions Mr Lindo Makhaye hosted the final day with speakers including UKZN alumnus and serial entrepreneur Mr Kwazini Zulu; UKZN alumnus and founder of internet service provider company PlugPoint Mr Siyabonga Sibiya, and Ghanaian social entrepreneur Mr Isaac Aggrey.
Words: Hlengiwe Khwela
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .High-Ranking Academic Appointed Adjunct Associate Professor at USA University
Professor Bonginkosi “Bonga” Chiliza.UKZN’s Professor Bonginkosi “Bonga” Chiliza has been appointed adjunct associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Boston University (BU) in the United States.
The appointment solidifies the relationship between UKZN and BU, which have enjoyed fruitful co-operation in recent years with student exchanges and research collaboration.
Chiliza, who is Head of UKZN’s Department of Psychiatry and President of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP), said BU academics were involved in the annual research training week of UKZN’s Psychiatry Discipline, providing excellent sub-specialist (child and addiction psychiatry) input into the training of Registrars and Medical students as well as Nurses and medical officers from the Department of Health.
He said two UKZN PhD students visited BU last year where they benefitted from research methodology mentoring from professors who designed the psychological interventions they will use in their studies.
‘The collaboration between the two departments of Psychiatry led to the establishment of the Africa Global Mental Health Institute, through which UKZN is fostering collaboration, culturally-relevant research and advancing the mental healthcare of people in Africa as well as for the diaspora. The collaboration is in keeping with the University’s vision of targeted internationalisation.
‘I am grateful for my appointment as Adjunct Associate Professor after what was a rigorous peer-reviewed process even though it is an honorary appointment,’ said Chiliza.
He completed his Medical degree and psychiatry specialisation at UKZN and his PhD at Stellenbosch University. His research interests include schizophrenia, consultation-liaison psychiatry, health services and medical education.
Chiliza, who is the Deputy Editor of the SA Journal of Psychiatry, has received several awards, including the Hamilton Naki Clinical Research Fellowship and the CINP Rafaelsen Young Investigators Award. He has authored more than 75 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has served on several NGO Boards, including the SA YMCA and Life Choices.
‘Well done Bonga for flying the UKZN flag high and putting us on the global map - we are exceptionally proud of you and the work you do,’ said Head and Dean of the School of Clinical Medicine, Professor Ncoza Dlova.
Words and photograph: Lihle Sosibo
author : .author email : .Society of SA Geographers Welcomes Two UKZN Academics to its Ranks
Professor Onisimo Mutanga (left) and Dr Adrian Nel.Click here for isiZulu version
South African Research Chair in Land Use Planning and Management Professor Onisimo Mutanga and Dr Adrian Nel of the Discipline of Geography at UKZN are among those who have been admitted to the Council of the Society of South African Geographers (SSAG) for a two-year term.
Mutanga was re-nominated to serve a second term on the Council while Nel joins five other new Council members from the Universities of the Free State, Pretoria, Mpumalanga, Cape Town and the North-West.
SSAG President Dr Richard Ballard of the Gauteng City-Region Observatory noted the body’s excitement at the injection of new people, capacities, ideas and energies.
Council members are responsible for various initiatives or activities, including editing the Society’s journal, arranging writing workshops, handling registrations with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions, society and student awards, conferences, social media and newsletters. Ballard noted the scope within the Council to invent new initiatives based on members’ thoughts on how they can make a difference as a Council to SSAG as a whole.
The SSAG, which has existed in its present form since 1994 when the Society for Geography and the South African Geographical Society amalgamated, boasts a large membership working to advance the research and educational activities of all South African geographers.
Mutanga, who joined UKZN in 2005, served a term on the SSAG Council handling a portfolio which included involvement in planning conference proceedings. He features consistently in the University’s 30 Top Performing Researchers list, and is an expert in ecosystem pattern and condition analysis in the face of global and land-use change using remote sensing. He integrates ecology, biodiversity conservation and remote sensing to model the impact of anthropogenic and physical factors on the environment.
Nel, a senior lecturer in the Discipline of Geography at UKZN since 2015, focuses his research on political ecology, using the results to contribute to curriculum content at UKZN. He conducts research on land reform and livelihoods, crises conservation, the Green Economy, human-environment relations, development and conservation in eastern and southern Africa, migration, identity, indigeneity and belonging.
Words and photographs: Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Doctoral Student Wins Free Registration for Dysphagia Conference
Ms Tasneem Fareed Karani.UKZN Speech-Language Therapy doctoral student Ms Tasneem Karani has won free registration for the 2021 Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) virtual conference as well as a one-year student membership to the society.
Tasneem was awarded the prize for her application to the DRS to be a beneficiary of the Sponsor-A-Student Programme at the conference.
The DRS is an international society that encourages novel research in the area of swallowing and dysphagia (swallowing disorders) and promotes interdisciplinary research.
‘To apply for the sponsorship, I was required to submit a letter of recommendation from my supervisor and a two-minute video detailing my current research study and why I felt I deserved to participate in the conference,’ said Karani.
‘The DRS selected me as one of eight prize winners from all over the world. To be selected as a winner provides me with an opportunity to connect with like-minded and passionate individuals and to discuss the prospect of future collaboration to expand my knowledge base and to improve the lives of individuals with dysphagia.
‘Eating is one of the most multisensory experiences, with sounds often regarded as the “forgotten flavour sense”. Why is it that we find crispy foods like snacks so enjoyable, and why is it that we find ourselves salivating when we hear the sizzling sounds of a steak being cooked? I want to understand the body’s physiological response, specifically the swallow response to food acoustic properties.’
She said the study was part of a project known asTHRIVE(Tackling Hunger by Research and Innovation in Vulnerable Environments), developed at the University of Zululand. ‘THRIVE strives to develop ways in which all vulnerable people, including individuals with dysphagia, can access food that they can safely consume (Kathard & Pillay, 2018). My study is motivated by the need to deliver viable solutions to those at risk of dysphagia-related aspiration pneumonias in marginalised contexts such as South Africa.’
Karani says she hopes through her research to merge complex and contemporary concepts from the fields of food science, gastrophysics, cognitive neuropsychology, auditory processing, taste and textural studies, and nutrition and dietetics. ‘The outcome of my PhD will be to propose a conceptual framework to understand food acoustics and their relation to dysphagia management.’
Karani’s supervisor is Professor Mershen Pillay; a dysphagia expert respected both locally and internationally. ‘Tasneem’s work is fascinating and it focuses on the texture of foods and the sounds associated with them. It is related to a broader project under THRIVE,’ said Pillay.
Karani obtained her undergraduate degree cum laude in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Witwatersrand in 2017. She received numerous awards during her studies, including the AB Clemons Research Award, Golden Key awards for four consecutive years, and the Faculty Dean’s Medal Award.
Karani, who has presented her undergraduate and postgraduate research both locally and internationally, completed her community service at Stanger Hospital in 2018 and started work on her masters. She is currently reading for her PhD after being awarded an upgrade from her master’s degree studies.
Upon completing her PhD, Karani aims to expand her clinical work in a university setting, doing research and hopefully becoming involved with student supervision.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Renowned Pollution Research Group Reborn as the WASH Centre
Professor Chris Buckley of the WASH R&D Centre.UKZN’s acclaimed Pollution Research Group (PRG) has been re-established as a research centre titled: the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Research and Development Centre (WASH R&D Centre).
The PRG - created in the 1970s - is housed in the basement of the Chemical Engineering building on the Howard College campus. Originating from initiatives that focused on chemical engineering research into the textile industry and related environmental issues, and on closed loop recycling of water, chemicals and energy in the textile industry, the PRG was established after national attention turned to the critical importance of water for development and the negative effects of industrial effluents and waste on the environment.
The PRG has distinguished itself through applied research on water quality, closed loop recycling, reclamation of valuable resources such as water, chemicals and energy, and wastewater management.
Its research has provided important support for the development of technologies and techniques in water and sanitation, and it has disseminated its work through numerous publications, conferences, workshops and other events. Work done by the PRG aligns closely with UKZN’s goal to promote African-led globalisation through African scholarship, expressed through its four research flagships: Social Cohesion; African Health; Big Data and Informatics, and the African City of the Future.
Connected to a large national and international network, the PRG has received several grants. Key funders such as the Water Research Commission (WRC), eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have sustained its activities and enabled it to pursue a long-term vision. It is working on several collaborative projects with its key funders and others.
Led by Professor Chris Buckley since 1986 and joined by Ms Susan Mercer in recent years, its membership has grown to 34 staff members and an increasing number of postgraduate students - many of its members, researchers and alumni are sought-after experts on waste, testing and innovative sanitation solutions.
A focus on capacity building and providing mentoring to both UKZN and international visiting students, has resulted in 22 PhD and 93 masters students graduating from UKZN after completing research supervised or co-supervised by staff within the PRG. The group has been involved in developing and lecturing courses within Chemical Engineering (as well as courses on topics like faecal sludge management), supporting undergraduate engineering student projects, and providing funding and projects for postgraduate students.
The new WASH R&D Centre will continue to extend and enhance its versatility and expertise as it incorporates staff it works with from other Schools and disciplines. Its research scope has expanded beyond chemical engineering to include agricultural economics, crop and soil sciences, microbiology, chemistry, mechanical and civil engineering, and development studies.
Over the past decade, the PRG has focused especially on addressing sanitation service delivery challenges, particularly through supporting testing of innovative sanitation technologies and the development of techniques for the characterisation of various excreta streams.
The Centre’s key activities include research support to EWS on aspects of water and sanitation service delivery and management; provision of technical, engineering and laboratory support to developers of new sanitation technologies being tested in the field; research into the circular economy and the link between sanitation and agriculture; engaging with communities and households participating in water and sanitation research projects; supervision of postgraduate students in projects related to water, sanitation, agriculture and health; and strengthening existing collaborations with funders, government bodies, research organisations and industry, and forging new relationships.
Its new status will enable the WASH R&D Centre to improve the quality, quantity and visibility of the UKZN’s research output, and to provide a better research environment for the cohesive group of academics involved in research and capacity building. Its new identity reflects its focus on the environmental, technological, economic, social and engineering aspects of wastewater recycling and re-use, and decentralised sanitation technologies, as well as its quest to become a centre of excellence in research in this field.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Indian-Born Scientist Awarded Physics Doctorate
Dr Sarojini Jeeva Panchu.Research which explored using laser-derived molybdenite, a mineral similar to graphite, for application in several nanoelectric, biomedical and energy storage uses, earned Dr Sarojini Jeeva Panchu a PhD in Physics from UKZN.
Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach, Panchu synthesised the mineral using laser-induced vaporisation in a high temperature furnace, producing novel nanostructures of molybdenum disulfide and molybdenum trisulfide. These nanomaterials, which Panchu characterised using electron and optical spectroscopy, have properties that Panchu says could be used in cancer-fighting treatments, and in energy storage devices such as super-capacitors.
‘My research dealt with the new concept of “quantum level objects controlled by laser light”, which relies on complex-shaped nanomaterials that have been synthesised using novel laser technology,’ she said.
Supervised by Dr Mathew Moodley of the School of Chemistry and Physics, Panchu used dual pulsed laser-assisted chemical vapour deposition to synthesise molybdenum disulphide nanomaterials, and through the process obtained nanoparticles resembling mesh-like carbon allotrope molecules known as fullerenes, nanorods, nanocrystals, and nanodots.
Panchu, who was awarded a National Research Foundation Freestanding Doctoral Scholarship, achieved her PhD in just four years and has published her research results in several high quality journals including Springer’s Journal of Electronic Materials, Elsevier’s Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology and Materials Today Chemistry, the American Chemical Society’s ACS Omega Journal and Wiley’s ChemistrySelect.
‘A full time doctorate was not a just degree, it was an opportunity to develop the skills needed to deliver impact to my own life,’ said Panchu.
Dedicated to the advancement of science and technology, Panchu completed her BSc degree at Lady Doak College in her home state of Tamil Nadu in India, having grown up in Karendal, a village in Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district. She completed her MSc degree at Madurai Kamaraj University in India, majoring in Physics, and went on to work at the Central Electro Chemical Research Institute as a research assistant, where she passed the country’s Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering and did her research project on the topic of developing nanostructured semiconductors for solar cells.
Panchu then joined her husband Dr Anand Krishnan, a researcher in Medical Biochemistry at UKZN at the time, and started studying for her doctorate.
The first in her family to enrol for and achieve a PhD, Panchu said it was through persistence, hard work and a positive mind-set that she was able to produce noteworthy results.
She thanked Moodley for providing her with motivation, focus and guidance and was also grateful for the support of Professor Anil Chuturgoon and Dr Kumar Raju.
Panchu is now working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of the Free State, where she is focusing on the vital application phase of her research - exploring the use of her nanostructured aqueous semiconductors in driving the solar degradation of bio-waste to aid in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Ford Wildlife Foundation Vehicles Boost Life Sciences Research
A Ford Wildlife Foundation vehicle in the field on the hippo project.Research on hippos fish, herps, birds and other mammals by students and researchers in UKZN’s School of Life Sciences is benefitting from a donation by the Ford Wildlife Foundation (FWF) of two Ford Ranger (double cab) 4x4 vehicles.
The vehicles are part of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa’s (FMCSA) commitment to the conservation and preservation of the environment in sub-Saharan Africa. The FMCSA handles maintenance of the vehicles during their use by partner organisations undertaking conservation work.
Overseen by Professor Colleen Downs, South African Research Chair in Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, the research activities supported by these vehicles include projects exploring the impacts of changing land use, including urbanisation, on biodiversity.
The vehicles enable researchers to access various research and field sites across several provinces, as they are capable of traversing all kinds of terrain found in South Africa’s nature reserves, parks and protected areas.
Downs and her team have been using one of the vehicles in their investigations into threats faced by vultures and other wildlife in South Africa as a result of anthropogenic land-use change. This vehicle has now been replaced by a newer model by the FWF for continued work on the threatened birds, mammals and other species that will contribute to improved conservation, management and public awareness.
The recently received second vehicle will be used on a project on one of Africa’s most iconic species, the hippopotamus. Classified as vulnerable with their numbers showing significant decline since the 1990s, hippos are not only valuable to the tourism industry but also play an important role in their environment as ecosystem engineers.
Despite their importance, Downs pointed out that research on these megaherbivores is limited and scarce, and since they rely on water bodies and nearby grasslands that are threatened by changing land use and the effects of climate change, their persistence is in peril, presenting detrimental, cascading consequences for already vulnerable aquatic and riparian environments.
In light of the effects of hippos on their physical environment, the nutrient contributions they make, and significant human-wildlife conflict, Downs and her team have been investigating aspects of the behaviour and ecology of hippos since 2015. This will contribute to a better understanding of their ecological role in South African aquatic and terrestrial systems, in the hope that this will help mediate sources of human-hippo wildlife conflict and close research gaps in hippo ecology and behaviour.
Novel telemetry methods are being used to assess hippo spatial ecology, home range and activity in rivers, lakes and small semi-rural lake systems and associated grasslands as well as using drones to estimate population sizes and preferred habitats.
‘We are most grateful for the FWF’s continued support of field research,’ said Downs. ‘Globally, there has been a decline in field research often because of the associated travel costs and difficulties in getting to field sites. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated this. Conservation measures for several taxa are urgently needed. This is especially relevant for wetland species, such as hippos, living in regions of the world where logistic or economic constraints curtail field research.
‘The FWF is making a major contribution to our research capabilities with their continued and exceptional vehicle support,’ said Downs. ‘This allows collection of biological information that is fundamental to improve the understanding of anthropogenic impacts on habitats and ecosystems so these can be recognised, mitigated or averted to improve conservation strategies.’
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .New Book on How to Become an Expert Public Speaker
UKZN alumnus Dineshrie Pillay’s new book titled: Ignition: 3 Steps to Drive from Newbie Presenter to Expert Speaker.Ignition: 3 Steps to Drive from Newbie Presenter to Expert Speaker is a new book by business coach leadership consultant and UKZN alumnus Dineshrie Pillay which takes readers on a journey aimed at “unleashing the public speaker in them”.
Pillay says readers will learn how to overcome any fear they may have of public speaking and regain self-confidence while using the power of words to influence, impact and inspire those around them.
Durban-born Pillay, who now lives in Johannesburg, used the months of lockdown to complete the 341-page book whichis available on Amazon Kindle and Amazon Print on Demand at a cost of R425 (including Vat). Those living in South Africa can order a signed copy of the book directly from Pillay’s website - https://dineshriepillay.com/product/ignition/ - and it will be delivered.
The book contains a step-by-step approach starting from a “newbie presenter” and progressing to an advanced or expert speaker. There are detailed exercises, illustrations and action steps for every stage of the journey.
Said Pillay: ‘I believe that speaking is an art that can be learned, not a privilege afforded to an elite few. We are all entitled to use our voices to become agents of change in our personal lives, careers and societies. The key to achieving this is to believe that, within you, is a speaker waiting to be ignited.’
Pillay is a qualified CA (SA), FCMA, Distinguished Toastmaster and Associate Coach registered with the International Coach Federation. Being technically trained, Pillay realised early in her own career the importance of communication, presentations and the art of persuasion. She combines her experience, qualifications and gift of teaching to create this powerful go-to guide to help ignite the speaker within people.
Champion public speaker Mr Mark Brown, who boasts the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation from the National Speakers Association, said: ‘Ignition is highly detailed and precise, and it contains activities, exercises, charts, graphs and photographs to give readers a clear understanding of every principle Dineshrie teaches. The book is the “go-to” resource for anyone wanting to achieve the highest levels of presentation proficiency.’
Contact Pillay on her e-mail: dineshrie@dineshriepillay.com or on the website www.dineshriepillay.com to arrange for presentation skill training, individual coach training or corporate orders of her book.
Words: Ndabaonline
Image: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Commemorates World AIDS Day 2020
UKZN marks World AIDS Day 2020.In 2019 there were 38 million people worldwide living with HIV with about 700 000 deaths caused by the disease and 1.7 million new infections, translating into about 4 600 new cases every day.
Africa has around 70% of all infections, while in sub-Saharan Africa, young women, who comprise about 10 percent of the population, account for one in every four new cases.
This is according to the Associate Scientific Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim, who addressed participants from around the world at UKZN’s World AIDs Day webinar. Hosted by the College of Health Sciences, the theme of the event was Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility in Recognition of the Impact of COVID-19.
Abdool Karim, who is a National Research Foundation A-rated scientist, gave an overview of the global HIV epidemic focusing on the continued high burden of the disease on young women in KwaZulu-Natal. She referred to a study conducted in a rural district in KwaZulu-Natal, which revealed that about 40% of women there were infected by the age of 23, while about 11% of young men, of a similar age to the women, were also infected. She emphasised that existing disparities needed to be addressed with the response requiring both treatment and prevention. ‘Preventing HIV infection in young women is critical if we are going to turn the tide on this pandemic,’ she said.
The infectious disease epidemiologist explored the impact of COVID-19 on HIV research and advocacy, emphasising that knowledge about the pandemic was very limited. ‘While we are seeing an unprecedented generation of new knowledge, there are still major gaps that remain. In the context of an emergency, disaster or a pandemic, we need to act and, in some instances, make leaps of faith in terms of what knowledge is available, in the interest of saving lives,’ she said.
With COVID-19, great optimism had been marred by vaccine “nationalism”. Abdool Karim cautioned against inward thinking, especially in industrialised countries.
She examined the intersectionality of pandemics and stressed the importance of addressing gender inequity, mental health and substance abuse.
Head of Internal Medicine at UKZN Professor Nombulelo Magula presented on the UNAIDS 90 90 90 U=U strategy to end HIV as a public health threat and attain targets during the COVID-19 pandemic. Magula gave an historical perspective of UNAIDS 90 90 90 which is a roadmap to ending the HIV and AIDS pandemic with the aim being that by 2020 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of those with diagnosed HIV infection receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy have viral suppression. ‘UNAIDS has adopted the Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) strategy where there is promotion of understanding that once people achieve undetectable viral suppression, then they cannot transmit infection,’ she said.
Referring to a study done at the University of Cape Town on the progress towards 90 90 90 targets, Magula said: ‘Only 79% of children know their HIV status and of those 68% are being treated. ‘This is a serious concern. We need to find those children through their grandmothers, teachers and pastors and ensure they understand very early and are counselled.’
She said transmission drivers of HIV included a lack of uptake of prevention interventions, stigma, insufficient treatment uptake, lack of disclosure, and mental health issues, including depression. ‘We need to focus on behaviour in order to stem the HIV pandemic. Some patients actually choose a path that leads to death rather than take a single pill because of the stigma they experience. We need to find strategies of changing this behaviour by working closely with communities.’
Magula commended UKZN for the 2019 Campus-to-Campus race held to raise awareness about 90 90 90 and emphasised how vital it was to work together to combat HIV. ‘We need to work together because we are all in this together! Our response has to be led and driven in all communities so that we can stop transmission of HIV by 2030 so our children and their children can live a life that is free from the HIV/TB epidemic,’ she said.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize presented on: The Psycho-Social Implications of COVID-19 on People Living with HIV, saying mental health was a major concern, not only in communities in South Africa and Africa but worldwide. ‘We are seeing an increase in disorders such as depression and we anticipate that these disorders are going to be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as people lose employment due to lockdown regulations,’ he said.
Mkhize said the psycho-social implications for people living with HIV and AIDS during the COVID-19 pandemic included the threat of unwanted exposure (for example when collecting medication), the exacerbation of inequalities faced by women living with HIV (including inter-partner violence), disconnection and social isolation, and food insecurity.
Mkhize appealed to the audience to lobby government to devote more resources to the management of mental health and called for social support for the elderly living with HIV and AIDS, especially during the pandemic.
Deputy Director of Science at the Africa Health Research Institute Professor Thumbi Ndung’u focused on the need for novel approaches to prevent and treat HIV infection and interactions of HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.
Ndung’u said a multi-faceted approach was needed for HIV prevention. Current strategies included anti-retroviral therapy, HIV education and counselling, safe sex, STI treatment, addressing poverty in young women and male circumcision.
He said next-generation tools to address HIV prevention included PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), passive immunisation, vaccines and modulation of the vaginal microbiome. (Currently available, PrEP is a pill those at risk of contracting HIV take to prevent getting the disease from sex or injection drug use.) ‘I listed PrEP at the top of the list since it is the most effective first line preventative therapy but the uptake of PrEP, especially in vulnerable groups such as young women, is very low.’
UKZN student and HIV and AIDS activist Ms Nkazimulo Dludla described her journey living positively with HIV and contracting COVID-19. The inspirational young woman spoke out against stigma and appealed for support with mental challenges for people facing the two epidemics.
Dludla found fighting COVID-19 particularly challenging, especially as her father died two days before she was diagnosed. ‘I had already given up before I’d even started the fight,’ she said, but support from her family, friends and colleagues helped her recover.
She said the stigma related to HIV, even from health workers, was severe. ‘The fight against HIV and COVID-19 doesn’t fall only on people infected by these viruses - also falls on those around us,’ she said.
SRC Central President Mr Moses Nkambako emphasised the importance of students knowing their status and said ‘solidarity is needed in the fight against HIV.’ He paid tribute to Dludla and encouraged UKZN students to get involved with the peer education programme of the Campus HIV and AIDS Support Unit (CHASU).
Nkambako commended the University for hosting the informative event and called on all students to treat every day as World AIDS Day to combat the epidemic.
Dean and Head of the School of Nursing and Public Health Professor Mosa Moshabela highlighted salient points from the discussions, with particular emphasis on matters that needed to be drawn to the attention of the University’s Management. Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Health Sciences Professor Busisiwe Ncama, who facilitated the event, gave an undertaking to raise these points with UKZN Management.
Executive Director (Acting) of the Corporate Relations Division Ms Normah Zondo led a candle-lighting ceremony to remember those who have died from HIV. ‘With nearly 38 million people living with HIV and AIDS today, the candlelight ceremony serves as an important intervention for global solidarity, breaking down barriers of stigma and discrimination,’ said Zondo. ‘It is time for all of us to remember the many lives that have been lost to HIV and AIDS. It’s also an opportunity to honour those who have dedicated their lives to helping others living with HIV and AIDS.’
Words: Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
Image: Supplied
author : .author email : .Google PhD Fellowship for Quantum Researcher - a First for Africa
Ms Amira Abbas who received a PhD Fellowship from Google.A PhD candidate in the Centre for Quantum Technology at UKZN, Ms Amira Abbas, is the first student from a university in Africa to receive a PhD Fellowship from Google in the category of quantum computing.
Google awards Fellowships in several categories, including algorithms, optimisations and markets; computational neuroscience; human computer interaction; machine learning; machine perception, speech technology and computer vision; mobile computing; natural language processing; privacy and security; programming technology and software engineering; quantum computing; structured data and database management, and systems and networking.
The Fellowship programme began 12 years ago, and has helped support about 500 postgraduate students in computer science and related fields in North America and Europe, Africa, Australia, East Asia and India.
Abbas, one of two recipients in the quantum computing category, joins 52 other recipients from all over the world including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Morocco, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United States of America.
Two other students from South African universities are in this year’s cohort – one is from the University of Johannesburg and the other from Stellenbosch University.
Abbas is pursuing her PhD research on the topic of how the power of quantum computers could be harnessed to aid financial applications, contributing towards research on quantum finance that is being advanced by major global financial institutions. She recently graduated cum laude from UKZN with her MSc in Physics.
The Google Fellowship, which recognises outstanding students who seek to influence the technology sector through their research, will support Abbas as she conducts her research and connect her to a Google Research Mentor.
Abbas qualified as an actuarial scientist and passed all the Chartered Financial Analyst board exams before taking on studies in quantum computing. She has worked in the financial sector and is now applying her knowledge and experience to the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning and science.
She recently spent time at IBM’s quantum computing research lab in Zürich, Switzerland, where she explored quantum neural networks and finance applications as part of her PhD research into new financial instruments that could arise from quantum computing.
Abbas thanked the Google Quantum/Artificial Intelligence Team for the award, saying it had made her year brighter!
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Gender Inequality Under the Spotlight at Chief Albert Luthuli Memorial Lecture
Keynote speaker and United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.The 1995 World Conference on Women: Where to for South Africa and the Rest of the African Continent, was the theme for the virtual Chief Albert Luthuli Memorial Lecture.
Hosted by UKZN in partnership with the Luthuli Museum and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC), the webinar aired nationally on SABC.
Journalist and facilitator for the annual event Ms Desiree Chauke noted the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa and the world, emphasising that the webinar’s keynote address by United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka could not have come at a better time!
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize lauded the ideals and achievements of Chief Albert Luthuli, recognising how the debate spoke to the key values, policies and practices of UKZN which are embedded in equal participation.
Explaining UKZN’s obligation in promoting the rights and wellbeing of women through community outreach and activation programmes, Mkhize said: ‘Our Institution has put in place stringent measures to guarantee an enabling environment where women can study, work and live without the fear of GBV, including sexual harassment.’
He suggested that more could be done in partnership with the Luthuli Museum and the DSAC to stop GBV, welcoming Mlambo-Ngcuka as a trailblazer and an exemplar of the outstanding spirit of Inkosi Albert Luthuli.
DSAC Minister Mr Nathi Mthethwa said he was delighted that the Luthuli Museum had invited a woman to speak for the second year in a row, an action that Luthuli would have been proud of.
Mthethwa, who said Luthuli was a man who did not see gender and in his youth was open to doing household chores reserved for women, shared his hopes for South African men to follow the good example, especially during the 16 Days of Activism for no Violence Against Women and Children.
Mthethwa commented on the theme and the progress made in connection with the acceptance of men and women as equal contributors to the future while acknowledging this as an attribute greatly admired in Luthuli and evident in his household.
Keynote speaker Mlambo-Ngcuka said she was honoured to be presenting the lecture in celebration of the 25 years since the Beijing Declaration at the Fourth World Conference on Women and the platform for action.
She paid tribute to Luthuli and his wife Nokukhanya Luthuli for their contributions to the country and their values which are embraced in the South African constitution.
Reflecting on South Africa’s participation in Beijing - which had been led by Dr Nkosazane Dlamini-Zuma - and the progress made since then, she outlined the government’s investment in the education of girls, women’s health, ministries and commissions. She added that difficulties were still being faced in the area of customary and religious laws.
Mlambo-Ngcuka focused on women’s participation in leadership and the work that still needed to be done to maintain parity, as global statistics showed the representation of women in parliament was an average of 25%.
Commenting on how economies are not structured to support women and the lack of mechanisms in place to implement gender equality, Mlambo-Ngcuka highlighted the burden of home care as an issue that needed to be addressed in order for women to thrive in the workplace.
She urged society to end the scourge of GBV - noting the increase in violence during the Coronavirus pandemic - and touched on the importance of digital infrastructure and the need to close the existing gender digital gap.
Mlambo-Ngcuka examined how women were still the most affected by poverty and highlighted ‘the need to build back stronger and better than before the pandemic by addressing and changing economic policies to enable women to benefit in a significant and meaningful way’.
In closing she said: ‘Malibongwe igama, leNkosi Albert Luthuli,’ thanking Luthuli for giving women ‘a seat at the table.’
Other speakers involved in the event included:
• KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance Mrs Nomusa Dube-Mncube who pledged her commitment to ensuring that women were empowered and had access to all available economic activities
• The John Langalibalele Dube Chair in Rural Education at UKZN, Professor Relebohile Moletsane, who called for community-based interventions in addressing GBV and sexual reproductive rights violations
• Director of the BAT Centre Trust Ms Nise Malange who asked the nation to unite and stand as one in saying #Sekwanele with GBV.
The daughter of Chief Albert Luthuli and Luthuli Museum Council member, Dr Albertina Luthuli, thanked everyone for recognising her father and acknowledging everything he stood for. She also thanked Mlambo-Ngcuka for honouring her invitation and presenting a thought-provoking lecture to South Africa and the world.
Click here to view the lecture: https://youtu.be/s3zOglTNOJs
Words: Hlengiwe Khwela
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Struggle for Justice Explored in Dr Phyllis Naidoo Memorial Lecture
Scenes from the Dr Phyllis Naidoo Memorial Lecture.Celebrating 60 years since Chief Albert Luthuli received the Nobel Peace Prize; UKZN hosted the Dr Phyllis Naidoo Memorial Lecture which explored the on-going struggle for justice.
Dr Roshini Pather, UKZN’s Portfolio Head for Special Collections, remembered Dr Naidoo for her ‘outstanding participation in the liberation movement and her immense contribution to South African society.’ Noting Naidoo’s donation of books, letters, legal documents, photographs, recordings and memorabilia to the Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre at UKZN, Pather added how the centre was ‘in the process of digitising her collection as an essential treasure that should be preserved.’
The guest speaker for the virtual event, human rights and environmental justice activist Dr Kumi Naidoo, extended warm greetings to the families of Dr Phyllis Naidoo and Chief Albert Luthuli, and also paid homage to the relatives of recently deceased struggle heroes, Mr Paul David and Dr Vejay Ramlakan.
Thanking UKZN for the invitation, Naidoo said he was honoured to be celebrating Aunt Phyls (as she was affectionately known to him) mentor and ‘one of the greatest South Africans who ever lived - Chief Albert Luthuli.’
Recalling the last conversation he had with former friend and activist, Mr Lenny Naidu, and his important message of the struggle for justice not being a sprint but a marathon, Naidoo shared two fundamental lessons he had learned - ‘first, that those who have had the privilege of acquiring knowledge have the burden of pushing against all forms of injustice until they become dislodged; and second, that it’s important to share in the sentiment of being life loving and wanting to live in dignity for your country.’
Recognising how many South Africans still live in appalling conditions, Naidoo raised the question of why his generation had failed to deliver justice to the majority of the people and why these injustices have persisted.
Noting the validity of the slogan “freedom in our lifetime” in the present day, he addressed the unsolved death of the first African Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chief Albert Luthuli, and called for an investigation into his death to be finalised and placed before a judge in a South African court.
Naidoo called for history to be recorded correctly, as he shared his involvement as a Global Ambassador for the Pan-African movement, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity in its campaign to rewrite history. ‘I believe that there cannot be any meaningful healing without revealing all the injustices that have occurred. If it is not known where we come from, we will never know where we need to go. If we forget our history, we forget and negate our present.’
He focused on the need for change in four main areas:
• Affleunza - a belief that a meaningful life comes from acquiring wealth and material positions through corruption and unethical means
• Maladjustment - the failure of government systems to address inequalities, especially economic inequalities
• Intersectionality - the inability to respond to people’s needs in an interconnected way
• Cognitive Dissonance - the psychological notion of denial
Closing off the webinar Naidoo said, ‘all of the great leaders we are honouring today would have been in the frontlines fighting for our survival. The sad reality is that short-term political and economic interests have held back the kind of change and the scale of change we need. We cannot get by now with small incremental baby step changes in the right direction.
‘At this moment, this convergence of crisis calls for a billion acts of courage from ordinary citizens whether in racial justice, environmental justice or inequality justice movements. If we connect up these struggles at a time of unprecedented global mobilisation against the injustice that we are currently witnessing, I believe that the time for big change and transition, which has been long overdue, might be around the corner.’
The facilitator for the event and lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Mr Lukhona Mnguni, congratulated Naidoo on a ‘powerful lecture that’s a reminder of the true essence of humanity embedded in the many giants that have come before us.’
Words: Hlengiwe Khwela
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Screen Dance Works Premiered Online
Choreographers who are part of the mentorship project.Click here for isiZulu version
Four screen dance works premiered online on 3 December in a project involving the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience and the Centre for Creative Arts.
It is the first 2020 project to be supported by the newly-launched Sustaining Theatre and Dance (STAND) Foundation.
The initiative, known as the STAND Foundation JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience’s Choreographic Mentorship Project, combines four young choreographers who have tested their choreographic languages on the JOMBA! platform with four experienced mentors over a 10-week period.
UKZN’s Performing Arts lecturer and Artistic Director of JOMBA! Dr Lliane Loots says she has been ‘overwhelmed by the hard work and dedication of the four selected choreographers and their amazing mentors, as well as by the serious and important screen dance work. We are really pushing a new growing screen dance genre in South African dance and it feels very significant to be helping artists work at this time.’
The four young choreographers are Sabelo Cele, Pavishen Paideya, Kaldi Makutike and Phumlani Mndebele who have been mentored by Alfred Hinkel, Gregory Maqoma, Sbonakaliso Ndaba and Musa Hlatshwayo, all of whom are celebrated choreographers with numerous awards and decades of experience between them.
Cele’s dance film titled Isabelo offers a provocative ceremony that unhinges the relationship of sexuality with traditional African philosophy. Challenging the heteronormative and the legacies of Christianity in Africa, Cele’s film looks set to provoke a lot of discussion.
Paideya returns to his cultural traditions in his work Rupa which is inspired by ancient Indian sculpture and customs around the shape and movement of the body. Paideya has a unique ability to celebrate his diaspora Indian heritage but also to jolt it a little and offer the slightly unexpected.
Makutike’s Thoughts In My Head is a deeply personal journey into the choreographer’s own mind with the work being created through the prompting of the mind’s wondering and the conversations ‘we have in our heads’. It is a beautiful and painful look at mental illness and depression and the power of dance - and dance making - to be transformative.
Mndebele’s dance film Descent Into Death is inspired by Howard Storm’s novel My Descent into Death, which captures his near death experience and his experiences in a realm unknown to the living. Mndebele’s dance film is an engagement with light, darkness and all in between.
Chairperson of STAND Gregory Maqoma said: ‘We are really excited by this collaboration with JOMBA! as it reflects STAND’s commitment to engaging in partnerships with serious players in the dance and theatre world, and our shared vision to build and support a new generation of outstanding dance and theatre-makers.’
• The four dance offerings premiered as a 40-minute free package at 19h00 on December 3 on the JOMBA! YouTube channel and can be viewed individually on the JOMBA! website until December 18.
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .65-Year-Old UKZN Student Produces Hit Song!
Musician and PhD student, Ms Olpha Selepe.Click here for isiZulu version
Singer and doctoral student Ms Olpha Selepe, aka Gee Six Five, is trending on social media since the release of her popular song Obani lababantu? (Who are those people?).
Selepe (65) proves that age is just a number as she excels in the music industry as well as in academics.
In her song, she talks about people pointing fingers and blaming others for the problems they face instead of fixing things themselves.
The music video is fast approaching 100 000 views on YouTube and the single is in the iTunes South Africa Top 20.
Although she doesn’t plan to release an album or any future songs, she hopes to be an inspiration to others to follow their dreams no matter their age or background. ‘You can chase your dreams. You can pursue the life you’ve always wanted. Go for it!’
She says her music is also meant to encourage people about the importance of education.
Speaking about her PhD in Education, she said: ‘My field of research is in Higher Education. It’s about our TVET college students and how they prepare for the workplace,’ she said.
Her advice to students is: ‘Get an education because there’s nothing you can do without education.’
Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UNjcAEpu7-E
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photograph: Supplied
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