What makes Her Campus UCT so special and unique from the other chapters is that our members, writers, and students are incredibly diverse. Each person has something beautiful and interesting about them – a story to share, a talent, or an outlook on life. We’d like to celebrate our diversity by zooming in on individual’s stories, speaking to them about what they’re most passionate about and letting them shine on our platform. Whether it be just for a chuckle or to actually share some wise words, we’d like to introduce a new series to Her Campus UCT: Humxns of UCT.
This Humxn of UCT is Tess Herra Yieke. Tess is a postgraduate scholar pursuing her honours in Industrial Sociology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She obtained her Bachelor of Social Sciences degree majoring in Industrial Sociology, Organizational Psychology and Gender Studies from UCT. Tess was on the Dean’s Merit list in 2017 for her academic excellence. She is currently a scholar under the Women in Mining Scholarship in the Department of Sociology. She looks forward to making a positive contribution to social development and addressing issues in the non-governmental organization sector in Africa.
Tess has a wealth of experience in student leadership and mentorship. Between 2017 and 2018, she was the vice-chairperson of the International Students Forum, where she represented international students voices in Student Parliament. In the same year, Tess was the vice-president of East African Society. In 2018, she was the International Students Coordinator in the Student Representative Council (SRC) where she worked closely with the International Academic Programmes Office (IAPO) to resolve administrative concerns of over 4 000 international students.
In 2019, Tess was a delegate at the All Africa Students Union 8th Summit in Rabat, Morocco. This year, she will also be a delegate in the 9th All Africa Students Union Summit which will be held online on the 2nd and 3rd of December. She has served as an Orientation trainer for the Student Orientation and Advocacy Office in 2018. Tess was an Orientation leader for the Faculty of Humanities in 2018 and IAPO in 2019. She has also served as a peer mentor under the MasterCard Foundation at UCT. She was a peer mentor in the UCT MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme for two years (i.e. 2018 and 2019).
I spoke to Tess about her decision to take up postgraduate studies in Industrial Sociology, initiatives she created during this pandemic and the legacy she left behind during her term in the SRC.
What made you decide on pursuing postgraduate studies in Industrial Sociology?
Tess: I am intrigued by the ever-changing world of work. I enjoy studying the socio-political and socio-economic issues that are always arising daily due to the changes in the world of work. I find it particularly interesting to understand how the industrial revolution affects the lives of those in global south countries and especially on the African continent. Investigating the precarious ways in which various vulnerable social groups such as women, youth, children and migrants are affected by the changes caused by globalisation. There has been a growing concern about globalisation and its discontents, especially where service delivery is concerned. Industrial sociology allows one to explore these issues from various angles to understand these issues at a social, political and economic level. For example, the fourth industrial revolution has changed the fundamental employability skills, knowledge and abilities one would need to secure a job.
In Africa, it is an open secret that we have inadequate technological infrastructure. Our working-class population cannot easily and publicly access the technology skills needed to survive the techno revolution that is slowly automating many job activities. Therefore, our working-class will continue to suffer from retrenchment, as well as necessitated to take up particular precarious jobs to survive the fourth industrial revolution. That is a deeply layered topic with a rippling socio-economic effect. I would enjoy not only discussing but also finding various effective developmental strategies that can help someone currently experiencing this challenge with no access to resources that they can use to help them out of this situation.
Kamala Harris is the first female and biracial vice-president elect of the United States of America. What are your thoughts about Kamala Harris’ historic election win?
Tess: I applaud her for having the courage and appropriate skill set to take on the job. I believe that she reflects the thoughts and desires of a designated population within the United States that is progressive and desperate to see transformative change in their leadership. However, it is vital to recognise that although she may be a symbol of transformative change, actions speak louder than words. She holds a very influential position and the voting process was just the beginning of her leadership journey. She now has the task of proving herself through hard work and commitment over the next couple of years by delivering what she promised to do during her campaign.
My mother always says your personality may get you the job, but it is your character, hard work and determination that will keep you there. I am curious to see what she will accomplish and how she will carry herself in that position, and someday I hope to be in a leadership position just as great as hers.
Back at home in Nairobi, Kenya, you worked as an intern for the Kenyan National Gender and Equality Commission. What did you learn during your internship about the advancement of gender equality in your home country?
Tess: I worked for a short period at the National Gender and Equality Commission. However, I was able to learn so much about the legal framework provided by both the Kenyan government and supranational organisations on the protection of human rights for various vulnerable social groups. I gained lots of experience regarding women’s issues, and one of the most crucial issues at the time was the Gender Bill that the Kenyan National Assembly rejected in 2019. The Gender bill was seeking to implement a constitutional requirement whereby, neither gender should have more than two-thirds representation in elective positions. I believe that the commission is pushing this agenda to address the issue of gender inequality in government leadership positions in Kenya. Although the Kenyan National Assembly rejected the Gender Bill in 2019, there has been a special request to revisit the failure to pass the bill from Honorary Justin Muturi, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya. I hope this discussion comes up again.
Although, aside from knowledge I gained from my short time working there, I enjoyed working in a new and unfamiliar setting as a university student. I had to learn very many new concepts and ideas daily, which immensely challenged my learning and communication skills. It helped me to understand so much more about what I am capable of, and how I can work on myself to achieve the goals I have set out for myself within the next three to five years. Also, I enjoyed the endless supply of Kenyan tea. The ‘chai’ made everything so much better.
This year, you have volunteered in the South African Migrant Solidarity Fund, where you have helped to raise over R100 000 worth of donations to help more than 300 families with R200 cash vouchers. What initiatives did you create to make an impact during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Tess: Joining the SA Migrant Solidarity Fund was an opportunity that was given to me by one of my academic mentors at the University of Cape Town. I worked with a group of academics who managed to create an online platform that is still in use even as we speak for fundraising. We were all able to share the information we had about the different groups of female migrants we knew during the lockdown that needed emergency funds for grocery shopping. Soon the network grew, and we expanded to helping even non-female identifying migrants and their families. We were able to distribute the money through R200 cash vouchers as well as Shoprite vouchers that helped those under the fund to at least temporarily access food. I honestly wish we had more funding that would allow us to keep offering these vouchers on a more regular basis and reach out to those we were unable to help. The fund, however, is not done as we intend to keep trying to come up with creative and innovative practical ways to help the migrant community in Cape Town to the best of our ability.
I was also able to work with a group of university colleagues on a youth initiative known as the By Africa Network whereby, we managed to run a nationwide university essay competition. We are currently finalising the process, and we plan to deliver cash prizes set between R2000 and R4000 to the respective winners. We also managed to run a CV revamp competition and helped a young job-seeking student with a fully paid consultation with Joan Thuo Muchiri, a Career coach and CV writing expert. We aimed to equip the potentially young working professional with the best career identity as they begin their job-hunting process and enter the working world. We hope to sponsor more young people with these kinds of opportunities. We also had many interesting live conversations on our By Africa Network Instagram account for the youth. The topics we discussed included mental health, employment, networking, entrepreneurship and how to build a solid career identity within the university space. We hope to have more conversations like this on a larger scale in the future.
During your tenure as the International Students Coordinator in the SRC, what legacy did you leave behind?
Tess: My tenure serving in the Student Representative Council at the University of Cape Town was very special to me because I believe I managed to revive international students’ passion for their country societies. The societies from the various African countries were slowly dying out, and I trust my team and I, managed to revive their passion for leadership, intercultural communication and interaction, especially amongst African students. I was able to create spaces for people to discuss various issues that concern African students through forums and events that allowed students to interact with each other and learn a lot more about each other’s cultural experiences. It encouraged non-South African and South African students to be more curious about each other’s cultural practices. It also allowed them to understand the complexity of each other’s realities and how they can work together to achieve a lot despite their differences.
I must say that my major success was creating a space for African international students and staff members to discuss the topic of Xenophobia. It has always been a very uncomfortable subject for students. But it was lovely to see it being discussed openly and peacefully amongst people who were willing to listen, learn and unlearn. I know that things cannot change overnight, but I believe that conversation was able to inspire change. I am currently working with the UCT Global Citizenship programme to create a course whereby we can get students to discuss various issues concerning citizenship and violence such as Xenophobia, tribalism and genocide. I think that I left a legacy of a talking culture and how to navigate sensitive issues that affect international students.
Who is your role model, and why?
Tess: I think I have many role models because many people inspire me. However, I have one constant role model – that is my mother. She has managed to achieve so much despite all her challenges. She has always taught me to take responsibility for my actions and to learn how to work on things that I can control and learn to let go of the things I cannot change. I owe my ambitious character and leadership skills to her as she is one of the most emotionally intelligent and self-aware people I know. She has perfected the art of utilizing her strengths and managing her weaknesses to yield positive results. She taught me how to turn failures into successes. She has reared within me leadership qualities that allow me to navigate even the most complex situations, creating opportunities for myself to excel.
Another powerful womxn that has recently inspired me is Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the newly appointed Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. Reading about her, I found it interesting how she has managed to excel in everything that she does. She is not only successful in her career but also her personal life as a wife and a mother. I know that every womxn is entitled to their definition of success, and for me, she represents ambition and success. She is an African womxn who has managed to let the world see her for more than societies normative gender roles. She has worked hard to be where she is today. Watching her gives me hope that slowly but surely with strategy, hard work and determination, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to do.
What do you hope to achieve in the social development and NGO sector in Africa?
Tess: I honestly want to lead by example, which in my opinion is always the hardest thing to do. Everyone always knows the right thing to do and to say, however, when it comes down to doing the work required to achieve the goal – it is another story. Therefore, I am hopeful that through my actions, I will be able to make a highly positive impact on the youth. I plan to do this by continuing to involve myself in various opportunities that allow me to work with young people. I have recently joined the UNESCO Youth Programme as a trainer. I want to continue empowering the youth by inspiring them to come up with innovative sustainable solutions to African problems, promote economic development and better service delivery on our continent.
I want to leave a legacy by creating a platform that encourages afro-centric critical thinking in ambitious young people who will choose to invest in their home countries. I believe I can do this by running high-level mentorship, coaching and training programmes as well as workshops that will be open to young people from all over Africa working in different industries. For example, I hope the platform will be the place where sociologists meet scientists, entertainers meet financial experts and learn from each other as well as those who have gone before us. There is no developmental strategy that can work effectively without a sound political ideology. Therefore, through my platform, I hope to provide a space for young people to come up with realistically effective ways for the youth to get involved in the growth of the socio-economic status of the African continent.