Meet – Dr. Bongeka Zuma, she recently obtained a Doctor of Medicine from Stanford University.
She was born and raised in Nkwezela in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where she attended a resourceless primary school.
Due to her academic excellence; she joined the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in 2007, where she was named the Dux Scholar, the student with the highest average and never looked back.
Against all odds; she graduated with a Bachelor of Science (summa cum laude) in Biology from Spelman College in Atlanta Georgia.
In 2017, she obtained a Masters in Medical Anthropology from the University of Oxford, UK.
In June 2024, Dr. Bongeka Zuma graduated with a Doctor of Medicine from Stanford University.
“I’ve been to 22 graduations for all my daughter-girls who came from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa to colleges and universities across the United States,” Oprah Winfrey wrote on Instagram. “This one was extra special, Daughter-girl Bongeka first graduated summa cum laude at Spelman, then she got her master’s degree at Oxford. And this weekend she received her hard-earned Doctor of Medicine from Stanford University.”
“One of the greatest joys of my life to see her walk across the stage! Knowing where she’s come from, a small community in KwaZulu-Natal, and how strongly she believed in becoming a doctor. She never gave up, and with a support team of good friends, fellow OWLAG sisters and professors, we all celebrated her achievement with great pride. Congratulations, Dr. Zuma. Well done! Well done!” wrote Oprah Winfrey.
“I saw first-hand the devastating effects of poor health resources — people around me constantly died, and they died from easily preventable or treatable conditions. When I was in grade six, I came home to find my grandmother dead on the sofa. She was sick and our neighbour had been taking care of her and I just never understood why our neighbors and family members assume the role of being doctors to people who should be taken care of by professionals. I came to the conclusion that it’s because they had no other option, no choice. And this was because of the poor health resources. Witnessing this injustice sparked an interest in the healthcare field for me,” said Dr. Bongeka Zuma.
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Authored by : Valentine Zoza
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