The Leap From Being Under-Represented | Chikondi Gurira | TEDxGreshamPlace

Описание: Chikondi Gurira (formerly Chikondi Dlamini) discusses topics such as the racial, gender and social class dynamics she has witnessed and experienced in her journey from a graduate engineer to being the first Black Female member of the National Council of SAIAE - the SA Institute of Agricultural Engineers. She also challenges the audience to be more aware of the hurdles that under-represented groups face, drawing from her own and other documented experiences of women in technical spaces in SA.
Having worked in a company made up of mostly old Afrikaans men and grown close to some to the point of venturing into having a startup consulting engineering firm with 2 of them, she briefly touches on the unspoken fears that the more represented (male & white) groups face when underrepresented groups start to hold positions of influence and seem to be taking over spaces that they previously monopolized. Chikondi trained as an Agricultural Engineer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She currently manages a consulting engineering office for MESCA Agri Engineers (previously EVN Africa Consulting Services), where she designs and manages the construction of Civil, Structural and Agricultural infrastructure across the province of KwaZulu Natal (KZN).
Equipped with an ESTP personality, a lineage of multiple Southern African countries and the unique perspective of a female immigrant in South Africa’s male-dominated agricultural and engineering industries. Chikondi has managed to thrive in her industry while delivering services to government and private sector clients.
She has invested over 7 years of service promoting interactions between student and practicing engineers, through the South African Institute of Agricultural Engineers (SAIAE). She is the first Black Female to sit on the National Council of SAIAE and is the current chairperson of its KZN Provincial Branch. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx