Akosua Edwards is about to embark on a full-circle journey to Africa. A passionate advocate for women and girls, she first visited the continent ten years ago while studying for her PhD at England’s Manchester Metropolitan University. Her thesis on women’s entrepreneurial success in the Caribbean and diaspora led her to volunteer with an organisation that supported displaced women from several countries including Africa.
She ended up working in Uganda for almost two years as a gender specialist, focusing on gender equity and strategic planning. Her unique experiences there sparked a profound sense of self-discovery and purpose, reminding her of the power of community and contributing to something larger than herself. Inspired by her new found mission, a renewed Edwards returned to Trinidad in 2014 and founded Nina, a young women’s leadership programme designed to empower girls in the State-care system and those transitioning from it at age 18.
Now, a decade later, Edwards, originally from Cocoyea Village, San Fernando, will next month return to the continent to present at the upcoming SVRI forum in Cape Town, South Africa - the world’s largest abstract driven conference on violence against women and children driven by gender inequality in low-and middle-income countries. Her presentation is themed: Supporting Adolescent Girls Empowerment Approaches to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls in the Caribbean. Nina is currently the only foundation from Trinidad and Tob.