Ducere Foundation
As the Ducere Foundation reaches its first Decade in December this year, we are delighted to announce that H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda, has accepted the role of our next Patron.
Dr Joyce Banda: Entrepreneur, Activist, Politician and Philanthropist
It is most fitting that after the death our inaugural Patron the late Quett Ketumile Joni Masire GCMG, the second President of Botswana (1980–1998) that our next Patron also be a former president.
Her Excellency Dr Joyce Banda served as the first woman President of the Republic of Malawi from 2012-2014, the second women president in Africa. Dr Banda is a courageous person who has experienced the extremes of life sharing much joy and facing enormous pain.
H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda will provide iconic leadership to the ongoing expansion of the Ducere Foundation and its key values, aspiration, and purpose. Our newly appointed Patron is a very special woman, known by many as Africa’s second leading lady and a champion of women and girls. We will work together tell their stories, publish their dreams, and encourage many to engage in higher education and influence their worlds.
Recognition
Named by Forbes as Africa’s Most Powerful woman 2013 and 2014, this reputation has been carried with pride and being voted number 43 most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2013, named one of the world’s most powerful black woman by Forbes in 2014 and one of the top 100 most influential people in the world by TIME. Also significant, CNN named her one of the most inspirational women in politics in 2014.
These accolades are wonderful and yet Dr Banda is a humble woman who communicates with people of all ages and all walks of life. Every day, Dr Banda works with commitment and passion through her own Foundation to provide education, to nourish thousands of children, to provide hope and inspire.
The year ahead
We are honoured to have Dr Banda in our midst. Ducere Foundation welcomes Dr Banda as a thought leader, philanthropist, and passionate activist.
Congratulation Dr Banda, and welcome.
