{"id":1369604,"date":"2025-08-19T10:29:30","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T09:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwcstaging.co.uk\/?post_type=impact-story&amp;p=1369604"},"modified":"2025-08-19T10:29:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T09:29:30","slug":"international-womens-history-month-spotlight-mayenziwe-mpila-manzana","status":"publish","type":"impact-story","link":"https:\/\/dev.uwcstaging.co.uk\/es\/impact-story\/international-womens-history-month-spotlight-mayenziwe-mpila-manzana\/","title":{"rendered":"International Women&#8217;s History Month spotlight: Mayenziwe Mpila Manzana\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\"><strong>Mayenziwe Mpila Manzana (Eswatini, Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa, 2024-2026)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\"><strong>In honour of International Women\u2019s History Month and International Women\u2019s Day (8 March), UWC is celebrating stories of courage, equality and unity from around the movement. We\u2019re highlighting the inspiring stories of scholars from the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalfundforwomen.org\/\">Global Fund for Women<\/a>-UWC partnership, an initiative designed to expand leadership and education pathways for talented adolescent girls from Sub-Saharan Africa.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-defying-gender-norms-in-eswatini\" style=\", sans-serif\">Defying gender norms in Eswatini<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\">Mayenziwe Mpila Manzana, WK UWCSA student and GFW scholar, grew up in Eswatini where she was consistently told that education wasn\u2019t for girls. Despite these societal expectations, her unwavering determination brought her to UWC,&nbsp;where she now pursues her passion for aerospace engineering and is becoming a leader in promoting STEM opportunities for girls in her community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mayenziwe-s-story-is-a-remarkable-example-of-breaking-free-from-the-mould-of-gender-norms-and-being-resilient-in-the-face-of-incredible-challenges-proving-that-new-paths-can-be-forged-for-future-generations-of-girls-in-education\" style=\", sans-serif\">Mayenziwe\u2019s story is a remarkable example of breaking free from the mould of gender norms and being resilient in the face of incredible challenges, proving that new paths can be forged for future generations of girls in education.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\">To say that Mayenziwe\u2019s path to considering MIT for aerospace engineering has been unlikely or untraditional is an understatement of epic proportions, especially as a young girl from a traditional village nestled in the mountains of Eswatini. \u201cGender bias is a huge issue in my community,\u201d Mayenziwe explains. Her uncles went abroad to be educated; her aunts did not. The computer in her home could only be used by her brother because, as a boy, he needed it. She\u2014on the other hand\u2014was needed in the kitchen. Mayenziwe\u2019s experience is not uncommon in Eswatini. Intergenerational gender bias is one reason the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalfundforwomen.org\/\">Global Fund for Women<\/a>&nbsp;(GFW) works with Waterford Khamlaba UWCSA to help girls from Sub-Saharan Africa receive education, mentorship and support. By empowering Mayenziwe and other students like her with leadership skills, knowledge and opportunities to make a difference in their communities, GFW is shaping a new intergenerational narrative of equity, equality and gender justice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-finding-a-supportive-community-at-wk-uwcsa\" style=\", sans-serif\"><strong>Finding a supportive community at WK UWCSA<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\">UWCSA, where GFW is funding Mayenziwe\u2019s education, shares these values, embracing and emboldening its students to realise their potential beyond the confines of their country\u2019s societal norms. \u201cThe UWCSA community is very different from where we come from. It has given me an opportunity and a platform that has allowed me to grow,\u201d Mayenziwe reflects. \u201cThat growth comes with obstacles, but the challenges are just preparing you for the future, for what you are yet to become. I wouldn\u2019t be who I am without this school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\">School has played a pivotal role throughout Mayenziwe\u2019s life. Following her parents\u2019 divorce, Mayenziwe, her brother and her mother moved to an unserviced home owned by her uncle Pedros in Mbabane. There, he encouraged her mother to let the children grow and take advantage of untraditional opportunities. Often clashing with her mother over her traditional beliefs, Pedros instilled in Mayenziwe the belief that there was no such thing as \u201cyou can or can\u2019t because you\u2019re a girl.\u201d From their new home, Mayenziwe attended the local Mission school, an unforeseeably fortuitous circumstance. The school ignited the internal fire stoked by her uncle to push the limits of what people expected of her. \u201cThe year I joined the debate club, they decided to compete, which they had never done before. It was my first-ever competition and we got third place. After that, I got involved in Math Olympiads and it was at one of those competitions an adult encouraged me to apply for a scholarship to Waterford Khamlaba UWCSA. I thought it was impossible. No one from my community had ever gotten in. I still couldn\u2019t use a computer.\u201d&nbsp;After earning the top score on her final examinations, Mayenziwe did get in. But deeply ingrained stereotypes aren\u2019t easily shaken loose and her community was in disbelief: \u201cIt was so inconceivable that the local paper came to do a story on me but reported that I got into a different school. No one believed me. No one at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-expanding-access-to-stem-for-girls\" style=\", sans-serif\">Expanding access to STEM for girls<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\">When Mayenziwe arrived at UWCSA in form one, the first thing that struck her about her new school was the diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>Meeting people from everywhere opened my mind in a way that would have never happened at a normal Swazi school. And, of course, UWC makes you believe that your dreams are possible, which inspired me to keep going.<br><\/p><cite>Mayenziwe Mpila Manzana (WK UWCSA, 2024-2026)<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\">The second thing that captivated her was the access to STEM. \u201cWhen my uncle passed in 2022, that&#8217;s when I started pushing my mission: to do for other people what he did for me. I wanted to break down the gender stereotypes that STEM is for boys, so I got into robotics and became the first female team captain. Going to UWCSA has given me access to mentors, peers and opportunities to be able to do that. While at school, I\u2019m also helping create a platform for girls in Eswatini to access STEM through the Young Women&#8217;s Empowerment Consortium (YWEC), which I co-founded here at UWCSA.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\">Mayenziwe will tell her story to anyone young girl willing to listen: \u201cThrough YWEC and Girl Up, I&#8217;m able to make a difference by introducing girls across Eswatini to STEM. I think I&#8217;ve met more than 1000 students since the year started.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\">Mayenziwe also started a robotics activity at UWCSA to further her mission: \u201cOn Mandela Day, we had about three schools with 30 or so girls come to campus and we helped them build their own robots. I also plan our outreach to schools outside the usual system, like SOS, which is like an orphanage. When we went there, I noticed that a larger percentage of the girls were interested. That touched something in me because I was seeing my mission come to life.\u201d I have gone from the girl who arrived at UWC not knowing how to use a computer to the girl who helps everyone use their computer, build robots and wants to go to MIT,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\">This year, Mayenziwe will help lead Next Gen Nexus (NGN), an event that brings students from different schools together to build their own robots and learn about careers in STEM. \u201cIn the beginning, they didn\u2019t know what they wanted to do when they were older. But by the end, they want to be mechatronic engineers,\u201d she says, beaming. \u201cWe know it changes the girls\u2019 mindset because their teachers have told us they are choosing to study science and math more now. They can see a future in it and learn they can change their story\u2014just like I did. They are learning that stereotypes and their past don&#8217;t define them and discovering that there are strong, powerful women all over Eswatini, at YWEC, UWCSEA, the Global&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalfundforwomen.org\/\">Fund for Women<\/a>&nbsp;and NGN who believe in them.\u201d&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\", sans-serif\" class=\"\"><em>Written by&nbsp;Samantha&nbsp;Gayfer, Director of Strategic Development at the Discovery Group.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mayenziwe Mpila Manzana (Eswatini, Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa, 2024-2026) In honour of International Women\u2019s History Month and International Women\u2019s Day (8 March), UWC is celebrating stories of courage, equality and unity from around the movement. We\u2019re highlighting the inspiring stories of scholars from the\u00a0Global Fund for Women-UWC partnership, an initiative designed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1369605,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","country":[211],"story-category":[178,182,212],"class_list":["post-1369604","impact-story","type-impact-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","country-eswatini","story-category-education","story-category-gender-equality-womens-empowerment","story-category-waterford-kamhlaba-uwc"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.7.1 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>International Women&#039;s History Month spotlight: Mayenziwe Mpila Manzana\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b - United World College<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"International Women&#039;s History Month spotlight: Mayenziwe Mpila Manzana\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mayenziwe Mpila Manzana (Eswatini, Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa, 2024-2026) In honour of International Women\u2019s History Month and International Women\u2019s Day (8 March), UWC is celebrating stories of courage, equality and unity from around the movement. 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