​Three lecturers attached to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Dr Talitha Crowley, Amanda Msindwana, and Mia Duvenage, were chosen to represent Stellenbosch University (SU) as part of the inaugural cohort of the AFREhealth Leadership Development Programme, known as STRIPE (Strengthening Interprofessional Education for HIV).

The African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) is an interdisciplinary health professional grouping that seeks to work with ministries of health, training institutions and other stakeholders to improve the quality of health care in Africa through research, education and capacity building. This forum was launched in Nairobi in 2016.

The James Hakim programme, which AFREhealth launched in mid-2021, is aimed at mid-career health professionals. It is named in honour of Professor James Hakim, a clinical epidemiologist, cardiologist and researcher, who, at the time of his death in 2021, was Professor of Medicine at the University of Zimbabwe's College of Health Sciences.

The long-term goal of the programme is to support the next generation of leaders in the health professions across sub-Saharan Africa, and to enable them to acquire the necessary skills to lead successful health programmes (with a specific focus on HIV). In order to do this, they need to be decisive leaders, effective mentors and dynamic communicators.

The programme consisted of a weekly seminar, biweekly workshops, independent work and pre-session readings. These were aimed at teaching participants how to promote organisational development, to work effectively across cultures and cadres, and how to network.

Dr Talitha Crowley

Dr Talitha Crowley, formerly at the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at the FHMS, was one of the recipients. She is a professional nurse and started her career in 2006 working in emergency, intensive care and primary care nursing. She completed postgraduate qualifications in Primary Care Nursing, Nursing Education and Health Services Management, a Master's of Nursing degree in 2009 and a PhD in Nursing in 2018.

Her academic career started at SU in 2010. Her research interest is in primary care nursing, HIV, and adolescents, with a focus on empowering people to take care of their health through self-management.

In January 2022 she accepted an associate professorship position at the University of the Western Cape School of Nursing.

“I felt extremely privileged to have received this award. The need for nurse leadership has been identified globally and in South Africa. Leaders in clinical nursing and academic environments need to be equipped with leadership skills to champion transformative and sustainable change in health systems and higher education environments," says Crowley.

“The programme covered a broad range of topics that facilitated the development of leadership skills and the advancement of my career. I will be able to apply these skills when mentoring colleagues and teaching students."

Amanda Msindwana

The second participant in this programme, is Amanda Msindwana, who is the Postgraduate Programme Coordinator at the Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health. This Centre focuses on developing and delivering education programmes for healthcare professionals in rural environments. She is a Speech-Language Therapist and Audiologist, with experience in rural health contexts.

She has been involved in the clinical coordination at the Centre for four years, and served for a term on the Health Professions Council of South Africa, as a board member for Speech Therapy and Audiology. She also served as a Director for Inclusive Education within the Eastern Cape Department of Education.  

She found the programme very valuable.

“For me it underlined the value that colleagues, communities and families bring to transformation," says Msindwana.

Her experience includes working in four rural provinces in South Africa as well as in three countries outside of South Africa.

“The emphasis on collaborative work was an important golden thread throughout the programme, and I anticipate that lifelong networks have been formed by being a participant."

She felt humbled by being chosen as a participant, as most of the other candidates were established academics and clinicians.

“It was wonderful being afforded an opportunity to learn from some of the great healthcare professionals and educators on the continent, and indeed the world. The programme re-energised my passion for health professions education in our country with all the myriad of challenges we are navigating," adds Msindwana.

She will be pursuing her Master's in Health Professions Education at Stellenbosch University in 2022.

Mia Duvenage

Mia Duvenage, another participant in this programme, is the clinical coordinator of the Worcester Rural Clinical School (WRCS), Department of Global Health, and she is responsible for the supervision of the final year occupational therapy students.

Her project for this programme was aimed at raising awareness about the learning opportunities at the WRCS for allied health students, and to increase the number of applications for the WRCS clinical training programmes, as well as to try and create a positive learning and teaching experience at the school for both students and teachers.

Caption: ​Mia Duvenage, Dr Talitha Crowley and Amanda Msindwana.