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Interview with Chido Dziva Chikwari

August 1, 2023

Chido Dziva Chikwari describes herself as fun-loving. She loves to nap, travel and to read. But there’s much more to this mom. She wears many hats.

She is an Assistant Professor, researcher and mentor. Her work involves a lot of travel which, when one has an eight-year-old child, can be quite taxing.

“Where I can, I travel with him. But when I can’t, he stays at home with my brother or my parents,” she explains. “I don’t think I would have been able to do the things that I’ve done without my parents. Over the years, they’ve taken on a lot of the childcare. And I have peace of mind when I’m travelling because I know that my son is safe.”

In addition to her family, Dziva Chikwari loves her work researching HIV and sexually transmitted infections and working with young people in Zimbabwe.

“I love that the work that I do ends up helping people, either in a direct and indirect way. I remember when I used to do field work and be based in clinics, I would tell myself that in my own way I am saving people’s lives,” she recalls. “And I work with really amazing people and great communities.  Doing that as part of my work is what makes it super fulfilling.”

Another hat Dziva Chikwari wears is that of the principal investigator for the GIFT study in Zimbabwe. The study is running in three countries – Madagascar, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The aim is to evaluate how effective and acceptable the Genital Inflammation Test (GIFT) is in a real-life setting.

“My role is oversight of the study and then when it’s done, I’ll help with writing up the publications,” she explains.

Dziva Chikwari is a sought-after researcher but one theme that is constant in all her work is her passion for Zimbabwe and the country’s youth and researchers.

“I love Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is home.”

She did leave the country to pursue her studies at Newcastle University and later at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

“I intentionally made the decision to come back home. Zimbabwe is where my family is, and it’s where I want to give back.”

Dziva Chikwari is exactly where she wants to be in every way. What she would be doing if she weren’t an epidemiologist researching sexually transmitted infections in Zimbabwe doesn’t seem to be a question.

“If I weren’t doing this, I would have set up my charity organisation,” she says after a long pause.

“The charity organisation is a dream that I’ve had for a very long time. I would like to create a platform or network where people who are working in communities can collaborate and get support.”