Webinars

Dr Fumane Portia Khanare

Dr Fumane Portia Khanare is a Senior Lecturer in the School Education Studies at Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, South Africa.

Ntombizandile Gcelu

Ntombizandile Gcelu, is a lecturer in the University of the Free State, South Africa in School of Education Studies

Part 1

Since the dismantling of colonisation in Africa coupled with the paradigm shift from exclusion to inclusion in higher education in Africa, the number of black women in higher education is significantly increasing, and South Africa is not an exception. Embedded in the principles of Ubuntu philosophy, the qualitative approach research draws from the experiences of receiving external mentorship. Using storytelling, navigating social exclusion is described. Through the sharing of her challenges, successes, lessons learned, and cautionary tale, the study offers insights about how an academic created a way to survive and thrive within higher education despite challenges and distractions.

Part 2

Women worldwide, but specifically black women in South Africa from marginalized backgrounds have proved that they can be resilient and serve as leaders in the absence of mentorship. This webinar aims to narrate how the researcher longed for a mentor when she first came to higher education and how fragilities experienced, managed to create a resilient person in her. She is of the view that her experiences can contribute to a transformation in higher education. Using storytelling to narrate experiences of an academic journey, the need for mentorship of previously marginalized woman is demonstrated and recommended for transformation in higher education.