The 2020 Sponsors of Brave campaign – a partnership between Adcock Ingram OTC and News24 – aims to celebrate the unsung heroes and brave professionals in healthcare. Season two recognises that pursuing a career in healthcare during the height of a pandemic is the definition of a generation of brave and aims to shine a spotlight on the succession of healthcare heroes. This season healthcare students were offered the opportunity to be paired with a mentor in their chosen field to gain insights, understanding and training in their profession. These inspiring mentors aided in inspiring and encouraging these students to continue to pursue their dreams of the healthcare profession.
Readers now have the chance to change one nominee’s life by casting their votes for their favourite mentee. The winning readers’ choice, chosen by votes, will win a fantastic R25,000 towards their studies. A second judges choice winner will also be chosen by the Sponsors of Brave season two panel of judges, which includes notable names such as Derek Watts, Nicole Capper and Palesa Tembe.
Their mentor's paired with the winning nominated mentees will also both win a trip to an overseas medical conference of their choice to the value of R50,000 and the opportunity to pay-it-forward by donating R25,000 to any registered NPO charity they wish to support.
Find out more about the 10 incredibly healthcare students and their mentors below:
Meet the 10 nominees and vote for the reader’s choice winner:
Appearance Sibuyi is a pharmacist assistant in training in his hometown of Giyani in Limpopo. Mentoring him in his hometown is pharmacist Rex Dlamini who runs a pharmacist assistant training programme that gives graduates the opportunity to gain pharmaceutical experience. Over the past 15 years, Dlamini has trained over 80 assistants who have gone on to be the breadwinners of their families.
Alex Wehmeyer is a Western Cape clinical pharmacy master's student. After completing his clinical rotations at Tygerberg Hospital in 2019, Wehmeyer was recruited to practice at the CTICC field hospital in Cape Town as part of a Covid-19 relief effort in the city. Wehmeyer received mentorship from Prof. Renier Coetzee who specialises in clinical pharmacy and community engagement at UWC and who has walked a journey with Wehmeyer since his undergraduate studies.
Nursing student Karabo Seema from the SG Lourens Nursing College in Pretoria who is an advocate for human rights and has a strong voice for the emancipation of women and marginalised communities. She was paired with mentor Kagiso Tukisi, a Midwifery and neonatal care lecturer at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.
Tebogo Monogo, a second-year pharmacy student at North-West University, has a passion for psychopharmacology and neuroscience. She received mentorship from Dr. Stephan Steyn, a senior lecturer in pharmacology at North-West University.
Luvo Ntayiya, is a qualified pharmacist technician from a rural town in the Eastern Cape, and a first-year B. Pharm student at Nelson Mandela University. With universities closed, he volunteered to work as a frontline worker during the Covid-19 lockdown. Paired with his mentor pharmacist Ntutu Sibango, he stresses empathy as critical for those entering the healthcare profession: "It's not only tablets that heal, but empathy for patients."
MbChb student Cameron Joseph understands that a good doctor treats a disease but a great doctor treats a patient. With his passion for paediatrics and community health, Joseph was paired with mentor Professor Liesl Zühlke. An award-winning leader in her field of paediatric cardiology and a research and global health advocate and associate professor at Red Cross Children's Hospital.
Vivian Chengalroyan, a PhD candidate in pharmacy at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She says being a healthcare professional during these Covid-19 has changed her outlook on the future and heightened her passion for helping others. Her mentor, leading pharmacist Dr Sham Moodley from Care Naraj Pharmacy in Durban praises Chengalroyan's commitment and dedication.
Julian Sheldon is a master’s student in pharmaceutical chemistry, who loves learning to help those around him. Sheldon found his mentor in essential health pharmacy in Kuilsriver pharmacist Leon Brits for whom he worked for three years — sharing a close bond and great respect for one another.
PHD candidate from the University of Cape Town Veneshley Samuels is from Atlantis on the Cape Flats and wants to specialise in TB research. She was paired with mentor Dr Andani Mulelu, a biochemist and research scientist at the University of Cape Town's Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit focusing on developing a rapid test to diagnose tuberculosis.
Fifth-year medical student Sibongumenzi Mtshali says she has seen first-hand what access to good medical healthcare providers can do for people and for communities. This rising star from Stellenbosch University has been paired with Dr Liana Roodt, a surgeon and founder of Project Flamingo, a breast cancer-focused NGO.
Readers have until midnight on Friday, 11 December 2020 to vote for their favourite nominee.
Visit https://partners.24.com/SponsorsofBrave/ website to vote.
