Chimdindu Ugwuanyi is a Bank-Fund Credit Union sponsored grantee.
Chimdindu Ugwuanyi, from Nigeria, is completing a master’s degree in public health at Vanderbilt University. She is an extremely enthusiastic, eloquent, and engaged woman who, as a physician and aspiring researcher, has a specific interest in sexual and reproductive health and understanding the importance of body safety education among women and children.
As the founder and director of Speak Out for Children development initiative, an NGO focused on preventing child sexual abuse in sub-Saharan Africa, Chimdindu designed the Body Safety Academy curriculum training for over 295 parents, teachers, and caregivers, creating educational materials for children, parents, and teachers to teach body safety skills that have reached over 15,000 children in 17 African countries. She also conducted research, organized public health awareness sessions, and wrote articles on child sexual abuse, while leading a team of 62 volunteers.
In the long term, Chimdindu will contribute to health policy reforms, fostering a culture of safety for children across Africa and beyond. As a contributor to child health, she wants to provide career solutions and pathways for younger female professionals, sharing insights on how her work has shaped her life.
Chimdindu describes herself as a leader, a consistent person, and a determined woman. She says that she “carries her community with her”—that she represents them. She feels that many have invested in her and, as such, she must invest in others, putting herself out there to mentor and represent young girls and women.
