Tererai Trent
- Child education advocate and founder of Tererai Trent International
- Has as her special focus the rights of women and girls
- Winner of the 2018 NAACP Award for Outstanding Literary Work (Instructional)
- Regarded by Oprah Winfrey as her “All-Time Favourite Guest”
Despite being born in a small African village and following the custom that saw her married while still legally a child, Dr. Tererai Trent had one ambition – to gain an education. Coming from a traditional community, women’s roles were clearly defined. Her schooling was of the most basic, but her dream of an education saw her use her brothers’ schoolbooks to further her learning.
The changing point in the life of Tererai Trent was when she met the CEO of Heifer International, Jo Luck. Jo inspired Tererai, telling her that “If you believe in your dreams, they are achievable.” This saw Tererai, a young mother by then, write down her dreams and seal them in a tin can which she then buried under a rock. She had, in effect, designed the blueprint of her life.
Tererai Trent never lost sight of her ambitions, and despite many challenges, finally managed to gain her high school diploma, and from there, multiple degrees. Age, to her, was not a factor when it came to education.
A two-time guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show saw Oprah name Tererai Trent her “All-Time Favourite Guest” and receive a large donation that allowed her to rebuild her childhood elementary school. Her firm belief that education was the key out of the shackles of poverty, as well as her desire to give back to her community, saw Tererai Trent found Tererai Trent International. The foundation’s main aim is to empower rural communities in Africa, giving children access to quality education regardless of gender or socioeconomic background. Her strategic partnerships with Oprah Winfrey and Save the Children have allowed her to achieve a large part of her dreams, with over 5,000 children in Zimbabwe being impacted by this initiative thus far.
Dr. Tererai Trent is currently an adjunct professor in Monitoring and Evaluation of Global Health at Drexel University, School of Public Health and is a senior consultant boasting over 18 years of international experience in program and policy evaluation. She has worked for major humanitarian organisations on five continents and is a fellow at the Center of AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) at UC San Francisco. Tererai Trent conducted research on the prevention of AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, with her focus on women and girls.
An author of multiple books, Dr. Tererai Trent won the 2018 NAACP Award for Outstanding Literary Work (Instructional) for her latest book, The Awakened Woman – Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams.
Tererai Trent – Speaker
As a speaker, Tererai Trent has appeared before audiences across the globe, sharing her story and the lessons she has learned. One such engagement saw her the keynote speaker at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, where she had the opportunity of using her growing voice to appeal to international businesses to invest in equal access quality education.
According to Dr. Tererai Trent, “Tinogona!” This translates to “It is achievable!”
Speaking Topics
- The Awakened Woman – based on her recent book by the same name.
Aimed squarely at women who desire to build a supportive network for themselves and each other, set astonishing goals, achieve them, and amplify their voice and impact in the world – in meaningful ways.
- Daring Dreamer: The Incredible Story of Tererai Trent, Oprah’s Favorite Guest of All Time
Inspirational keynote, practical advice on setting and achieving INCREDIBLE dreams & how Dr. Trent did it, from teen mother & wife in rural Zimbabwe to sharing the stage with Oprah as her favorite guest of all time and gaining her support to fund several schools in Zimbabwe) Can be tailored to a children’s audience, too, and supplemented by her children’s book: The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can Emphasis on the catalyzing power of education and literacy – and how that equals freedom for those who obtain those gifts.
- Building A Transformative Company: How Identifying & Filling Your Company’s ‘Great Hunger’ Can Ignite Success
Aligning corporate strategy with a higher calling – one related to identifying and hyper-focusing on WHY your company exists, what core problem or challenge it solves for your customers – and connecting that to your company’s ‘Greatest Hunger.’ The end result? Your company will be doing its biggest and best work in the world.