Africa University Today — Spring 2019
Alumna Inspires with Focus, Purpose and Action
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olorosa Duncan did not set out to become a role model. However, the power of her story and its ability to inspire are undisputable. It took focus for a young woman from the Barabaig community in rural Tanzania, where it is still difficult for a girl to reach the age of 14 without being married, to defy the odds. When Duncan earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Africa University in May 2004, she became the first female university graduate in her family. In the 15 years since, Duncan has worked with street children. She joined other women in her community to launch ‘Women for Change’, an organization that helps vulnerable children become educated. Together with a colleague, Dr. Joseph J. Kavit, a physician, Duncan helped found Tandabui Health Access Tanzania to lead HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health projects. She attended graduate school at the University of London, earning a master’s degree in public health from
the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in 2012. Between 2010 and 2018, while serving as regional program manager for Pathfinder International, Duncan led efforts to provide needed maternal, child, and reproductive healthcare services in rural Tanzania. She was recognized as an “Emerging Voice for Global Health” and selected for an Eisenhower Fellowship. “Studying at a multicultural institution taught me to collaborate with mutual respect in a pluralistic society,” said Duncan. “It taught me to acknowledge, embrace and respect differences…
It has not only simplified my international job responsibilities, but also allowed me to make a significant contribution to my society.” Currently, Duncan is working with the Embassy of Switzerland in Tanzania supporting health-related strategies and programs nationwide.
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that included $100,000 to build the university’s first athletic fields. Under his leadership as bishop, the South Carolina Annual Conference raised $2 million for the university, including $1.7 million to build a theology building and the remaining funds for scholarships. The Western North Carolina Annual Conference raised $1.2 million for scholarships when he was bishop. Fundraising strategies for AU used by the late Bishop R. Sheldon Duecker helped with both conference campaigns, and McCleskey continued to build on Duecker’s template during his time in the development office. He worked with bishops
and annual conferences and called on individual donors. Ruth Ellen Stone, a longstanding lay adviser and advocate for the university in the Indiana Episcopal Area, said McCleskey was extremely helpful to the leaders working on a fundraising campaign. “The most significant thing he did was meet with our leadership team (to) set the goals for our campaign to endow a chair in the department of agriculture and endow several scholarships,” she said. “They set a goal of $1.6 million, and he was very influential in helping them.” McCleskey has made five visits to the AU campus located at Mutare, Zimbabwe, often accompanied by his wife, Margaret, or one of their three adult children. “I can't imagine a more satisfying and deeply gratifying way I could have spent those 10 years than doing what I did for Africa University,” the bishop said. “It's been one of the richest parts of my life.”
How You Can Help ocated at Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, Africa University is an accredited United Methodist-related educational institution in Africa, established by action of the General Conference. The university offers degree programs in three colleges: Health, Agriculture and Natural Sciences (CHANS); Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance (CBPLG); and Social Sciences, Theology, Humanities and Education (CSSTH&E). New academic programs include master’s and doctoral degree programs in migration, citizenship and refugee protection; intellectual property; public health; and entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity.
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Africa University continues to be the evidence of faith, hope and belief in the visions of dreamers. Thank you for investing in changed lives and communities! Encourage your church to set a 100 percent apportionment remittance goal. Sending a portion of your goal each month makes it easier to reach full remittance by year’s end. Your church’s generosity ensures 100 percent support of Africa University’s operational budget for costs such as utilities, Continued next page.
