Her multiple skills make it rather difficult to describe her in just one word. And in trying to capture the essence of who she really is, one would need a dozen superlatives.
Her name is Judy Nwokedi, a sportsperson, psychologist, health activist, media specialist, filmmaker…the list goes on and on.
Nwokedi was born in Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape. She was one of the children who was always eager to learn and seek knowledge. So at all times she was buried in books. Small wonder then that at the age of 16 she was already a student at the University of Cape Town, where she graduated “with a class medal in Sotho”.
In 1982, owing to the political situation in the country, she was forced to go into exile and the first country she set foot in was Australia. As an avid softball player she immediately impressed people with her skills and later joined the sports ministry to help “professionalise” the Australian amateur sport.
Her training in psychology, which she studied up to master’s level, saw her landing the important job of being a civilian psychologist in the Australian Correctional Services. The idea was to draw on her South African experience in fundamentally transforming the prison system.
More importantly, she served in the Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody, managed a drugs programme and helped develop alternate models of dealing with juvenile detention.
“They thought I could bring in a different perspective that would be important for their commission,” said Nwokedi. She returned to South Africa in 1993, when she was headhunted to “develop advocacy as a democratic tool in South Africa”.
She was also instrumental in forming the National Progressive Primary Health Care Network through which she trained “leading political stakeholders” for six months on healthcare reform. Through this initiative, she also secured funding for the media to focus more on development issues.
Since then her interest in the media has grown, and in 1997 she set up a consultancy firm and its focus continues to be advocacy. Through this she worked closely with regional representatives in countries such as Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe around issues of media deregulation.
LoveLife, which is hailed as one of the most successful initiatives to support and reach out to young South Africans on HIV/Aids issues, was her consultancy’s “flagship programme”.
Nwokedi is also well respected in the broadcasting community, having worked at the SABC’s Public Broadcasting Service that comprised 15 radio stations and two television stations. Now Nwokedi is the national manager of Motorola South Africa and the only black female board member.
Which school did you go to?
Athlone High in the Cape Flats.
Who was your favourite teacher and why?
Mr Blake, my Latin teacher. He introduced me to poetry and communism. He awakened within me the desire for literature, language and classics.
What were your favourite subjects and why?
Science, Latin and biology, simply because I was good at them. I always got 90% or more.
What do you miss most about your school days?
All the time we had, the gay abandon of youth. It was such a period of sheer indulgence.
What is your advice to the learners out there?
I would say to them: 10% talent and 90% perspiration. You’ve got to work hard, nothing comes for nothing and don’t be fooled by students who say “I didn’t”. Read, read and read – there is no substitute for hard work!Judy