KEDI VANDERWESTHUIZEN

Kedidimetse (Kedi) 'Mmapolase' VanderWesthuizen is an agripreneur focused on dog breeding, training, and sales in Matebeleng village, Botswana. She co-runs Incredible MAX K-9 Services, which focuses on dog breeding, K-9 training, K-9 grooming, behavioral modification, and stud service. Along with her co-run business, she has over eight years of experience as a professional journalist. She has written for a couple of newspapers and magazines in the country and runs an agricultural blog on Facebook called AgriCorner. Kedi aims to be a national advocate for women in sustainable agriculture, focusing on identifying opportunities to champion leadership development among female farmers and rural women. She advocates for financial inclusion and support on behalf of women in a field that is conventionally dominated by male participants. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, she hopes to have gained professional and personal development critical to her job career advancement. She explains that being exposed to third-country experiences will help boost professional development priorities to active young agriculturalists, like herself, and enable sharing of best practices with respect to the most pressing agricultural economics and innovations. She will, in turn, help aspiring and upcoming young people to turn farming into a profitable source of income for their households and the nation at large.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree in Print Journalism and Public Relations - University of Botswana