Hand Me Up

In this concluding episode of season 2, the HMU ladies in a fitting way felt it inevitable to come back together and provide a recap of the very informative season that was. Rue and Gwen orbit back to the beginning, explaining the rationale behind season 2 with commentary on the various conversations recorded. We share and tell of our views and experiences through key takeaways.

Of course, there have been plenty of themes to emerge since the beginning of the podcast and one such has pushed the HMU ladies to broaden the scope of the podcast beyond the PhD journey and related careers. Compared with seasons 1 and 2, and through a burst of inspiration, season 3 will take us on a journey to explore a vast range of careers. To know more about this, we encourage you to listen through to the end. Lastly, thank you for your consistency, loyalty and feedback. We would not be here without you. Please continue to share the podcast and see you in season 3!

In this episode, Gwen is joined by Joy who is currently an Associate Professor of History at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Having initially studied for an Undergraduate and Masters degrees in Zimbabwe, Joy went on to study for a PhD in America graduating in the early 2000’s. Her topic was: “The Untold Story: War, Flight and Internal Displacement of the Rural Women to Harare During the Zimbabwean Liberation Struggle, 1974-1980.” In this episode, Joy takes us on a journey on missionaries and land ownership as well as urban environmental racism in colonial Zimbabwe. She also talks about the differences between the American and British PhD process, navigating the Zimbabwean education system and how that impacted her writing and analysis process. She also revisits the pressures of pursuing education and not getting married as a result. The nugget or takeaway from her story is “don’t mind the haters….just smile and then people won’t have more ammunition to make you feel bad about it…”

Joy’s research interests: women and gender; urbanisation; the Zinbabweab liberation struggle; migration, diaspora and trans nationalism.

In this week’s episode, Rue has the pleasure of speaking to Chido who is an Epidemiologist with a background in Biomedical Science with Business and is currently based in Zimbabwe and working for the Biomedical Research and Training Institute. Chido’s PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in the research area of HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health saw her coordinate a cluster randomised trial aimed at improving HIV and sexual and reproductive health outcomes among young people (16-24 years) across three provinces of Zimbabwe (known as the CHIEDZA trial). She undertook an evaluation of targeted HIV testing strategies for children and adolescents in Zimbabwe – work that has resulted in high impact publications and influenced real-life changes to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines! Chido is not only passionate about her research, but she is very enthusiastic about mentorship and is currently coordinating and mentoring young people as part of an ongoing Youth Researchers Academy. Beyond this, Chido has a very strong presence on twitter (Twitter handle: @chidodc) where she shares her work, and gives insight into the joys of being a Mom. We hope that you enjoy this eposide as much as we did!

In this episode, we speak to Skye who is a Forensic Psychology scholar and currently a PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.  Skye’s PhD project deals with questions of borders and migration, responding to migration issues, specifically centring African LGBT persons seeking asylum. It investigates broader issues around structural violence and the ongoing conversation on the politics of migration, borders of gender and sexuality and the treatment of African LGBT individuals. In this episode, Skye also walks us through the exploration of gender and sexuality; the Queer label what that means in the African sense, as an Ancestral Wife. Prior to the PhD journey, Skye was a Forensic Psychologist-In Training and worked for the UK criminal justice system, specialising in sexual offending and intimate partner violence. However, the experience of racism and prejudice in the criminal justice system eventually presented a barrier that influenced the decision to relocate to the African continent as a way to reconnect with the motherland.

Website:

www.skyetshookii.com

Recent Publications:

Chirape, S. R. T. (In press). Centring healing: reflexivity, activism, and the decolonial act of researching communities existing on the margin. Psychology in Society (PINS) journal.

Nekura, R & Chirape, S.R.T (2020). ISLA Guide on Litigating Human Trafficking Cases in Africa. Commissioned research: Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA).

Chirape, S. R. T. (2018). He was treated like a criminal”: Evaluating the impact of detention-related trauma on LGBTI refugees In Linton, S. and Walcott, R. (Ed). The Colour of Madness: Exploring BAME mental health in the UK. An anthology. Skiddaw publishers.

“In this episode, we speak to Lalage who initially begun her undergrad studies exploring a dual degree in public health at the University of Zimbabwe. She explains the circumstances that resulted in her moving her studies to the USA, where she changed her undergrad major to biology and chemistry. Her work experience with the United Nations and Food and Agricultural Organisation in Zimbabwe, alongside her educational background; eventually influenced the decision to pursue a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from East Carolina University, USA.

Lalage shares the challenges of adapting to education in the USA, identifying how studying at the University of Zimbabwe provided a very strong foundation for her work. This included a PostDoc Researcher Fellowship and most recently, her role as a Medical Science Liaison in the area of women’s health. Lalage also shares insight into how she managed to bypass doing a Masters degree, and talks about her journey to adapting her approach to education by learning the importance of advocating for oneself, speaking up and using one’s platform to make a meaningful contribution to society.”

In this week’s episode Gwen speaks to Pam who undertook a PhD in Using Exit strategy to design a collaborative Model for Sustainable Livelihoods in Rural Artisan Communities. She is a multi-award-winning accessories designer, educator, and author, with her own label called Vanhu Vamwe. Pam’s gift for storytelling, and her journey is quite enlightening on many fronts. Her experiences of working with artisans and feeling personally part of the problem of exploiting vulnerable communities led Pam to study a PhD where she could explore the impact designers working with artisans have on their lives and how to make the process better by bringing true, sustainable value to these communities. She enlightens the listener on how the nature of being a creative individual often means having multiple interests, and for Pam; this has meant exploring several different avenues but not being a jack of all trades. Our biggest takeaway from this episode is Pam’s boldness in stating: “... Dont tell me it’s a glorified Masters, and I say that with much humility..!” To understand how Pam arrived at this conclusion, we encourage you to listen to this highly engaging episode!!!

In this episode we are joined by Pat V. who recently defended her Viva Voce exploring a PhD topic looking at food supply and safety in the context of the UK as compared to Zimbabwe. Her storytelling on the challenges of data collection during the 2017 political coup in Zimbabwe is super fascinating. Alongside this, Pat gives a unique view into doing a PhD and juggling motherhood - Pat found out she had fallen pregnant at the very same time she had been awarded her scholarship. She details the challenges of a complicated pregnancy/maternity period, mental health and how her very supportive Supervisory team made allowances to defer her move to the UK to start the PhD after the arrival of her baby. Pat’s story is one of bravery, determination and navigating motherhood through the highs and lows of the PhD experience. She enlightens us on how her peers started a support group for mature students, and her relatives stepped up to help with childcare in the absence of her nuclear family.”

In this episode we are joined by Mandi, who is a Fogarty Fellow and PhD Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK). With years of experience in research implementation, evaluation and sexual advocacy; her research embarks on an exploration of menstrual health, hygiene, and adolescent sexual health. The uniqueness of her experience takes us on a journey of distance learning to see how her work with the Chiedza Programme focuses the integration of menstrual health (MH) looking at product choice, MH knowledge, practices and perceptions amongst young women in Zimbabwe. Mandi’s work is so important for women in Zimbabwe, and we particularly love that her work is not only data driven, but incorporates interventions as well! This episode is an eye opener and encourages conversations around contraception, menstruation and fertility between the different genders (FEMINISM at play in real world settings). Mandi is well published in the topical areas of HIV, adolescent health, STIs and MH. She is also the founder of “The Bleed Read,” a virtual platform that comprehensively addresses and highlights all things MH. We would strongly encourage you to follow her Instagram page: The Bleed Read!

Some of her publications:

https://pilotfeasibilitystudies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40814-020-00728-5

https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/99/2/20-260224.pdf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33417838/

In this episode, Gwen speaks to Awe, who’s journey toward undertaking a PhD in Theatre Studies is not only unique, but equally captivating as suggested in her PhD title: ‘Retracing Invisible Maps: Landscape in and as Performance in contemporary South Africa.’ Awe completed her PhD at the University of Warwick, and walks us through how education was always central to her Zimbabwean upbringing. She details her dream of getting a PhD by age 30 and the subsequent pressures/challenges experienced after completing her Masters in South Africa, and working out whether a PhD was truly worthwhile, and how that could enhance a career in Drama and the Performing Arts. She walks us through the triumphs of securing a scholarship and how the opportunity made a way for her relocation to the UK. Her background in theatre-making and research have helped to carve out her career as a freelance Drama practitioner in Spain, where she currently facilitates workshops amongst other activities. Her work focuses on educating through experimental storytelling with a view towards developing cultural awareness in a variety of learning environments. Awe’s storytelling is indeed enthralling and we hope you equally enjoy this episode!

In this episode, we speak to the brilliant Nyasha G who shares her journey in obtaining a PhD in Neuropharmacology at the University of Waterloo, Canada! Nyasha was born and raised in Zimbabwe, where she developed a passion for science through observing the impact of science and medicine on her community. Nyasha has been the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, including a $92, 000 academic scholarship to study a BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and a scholarship for admission into the prestigious Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Drug Safety-Training Program, which tremendously impacted the trajectory of her career. Since completing her PhD, she has embarked on a Postdoctoral research career, and is a Research Fellow at the University of Waterloo focusing on understanding the role of pharmacists in opioid stewardship. Apart from research, Nyasha is passionate about education and is a certified Academic Consultant with BeMo Academic Consulting and the co-founder of As a Matter of Science, a scientific communications platform. Link: https://youtu.be/cJR-95evdio Last but definitely not least, Nyasha is a proud member of the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation, a network where scientists who are Christian connect to discuss topics at the intersection of faith and science.