From the Cape Flats to Antarctica – Raising funds to participate in Global Women’s Leadership Development

My name is Prideel Majiedt and I've been working in marine environmental management at the South Africa National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) for the last 8 years. I was born in Elsies River and grew up in Bishop Lavis in Cape Town. Thereafter I began my career on Marion Island which is part of SA's territory in the Southern Ocean, and where my desire to visit Antarctica was first awakened. While working at SANBI, I have recently completed my masters in environmental management for which I received a bursary from the GreenMatter Fellowship. For more about me, please see my GreenMatter youtube video below.

I've been selected as the only African alongside my SANBI colleague, Phoebe Barnard (who is a SA resident), out of 78 women to participate in a global women's leadership initiative, "Homeward Bound." This is an extraordinary leadership and strategic initiative. It aims to enhance the influence and impact of women in science to ensure the sustainability of our beautiful planet. Our voyage to South Georgia and Antarctica is the backdrop for sustainability leadership coaching and mentorship to increase the positive impact of women's voices in global decision-making. Antarctica is one of the remotest places on Earth, and is also key in understanding the effects of global climate change and pollution.

Unfortunately, my participation is not set in stone as each participant is required to provide co-funding for their trip costs. Each of us needs to raise about $20 000, which will cover travel to Ushuaia in Argentina (where the ship will depart to Anarctica), medical assessments, and especially state-of-the-art leadership coaching and empowerment training.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. Please help me by donating to my campaign to raise funds to get me on the ship. Any amount you can provide is one step closer to not only solidifying my spot in this amazing initiative, but also one step closer to achieving my dream of visiting one of the most remote parts of our beautiful planet.