“If I am not pouring into myself, what can I give to my patients? You can’t pour from an empty cup”.

These are the words of the first nominee out of ten, for Adcock Ingram OTC’s Sponsors of Brave – The Next Generation!

As a fifth-year medical student, Sibongumenzi Mtshali (Menzi) said she has seen first-hand what access to medical healthcare providers can do for people, 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.

She considers it a calling to which she intends to dedicate her life, with plans to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology or general surgery.

Originally from a rural town in KwaZulu-Natal, at the age of eight, Menzi lost her grandmother to sepsis after an arm injury turned septic. Years later, Menzi and her family experienced another trauma, receiving very little support at the time. Consequently, she made the decision to dedicate her life to helping others.

Menzi was paired with mentor Doctor Liana Roodt, who found her calling in changing the lives of breast cancer patients and founded NGO Project Flamingo to help patients get the timely and lifesaving care they need.“

Menzi is tiny in stature, but she has a big heart and incredibly bright mind.

“The fact that she has got such a passion for healthcare, and particularly in our country, is what we need…that makes her brave” said mentor, Dr Liana Roodt.

Watch this video to learn more about Menzi and Dr. Roodt and to vote https://partners.24.com/SponsorsofBrave/Sibongumenzi-Mtshali/index.html

The registered NPO Dr Roodt nominated is: Project Flamingo

In the first season, Adcock Ingram OTC celebrated a raft of unsung heroes from the country’s health system, profiling professionals from private practice to civil service, from academia, pharmacy, and the nonprofit sector.

Now the second season is in full swing, seeking the next generation of healthcare heroes – people who are newly working in or studying towards a career in healthcare.

If you know any aspiring, current or recently graduated healthcare students or are one yourself, submit a nomination to stand a chance to win.

To promote career development in the healthcare sector, Adcock Ingram OTC is creating a platform to aid these students financially in their studies and to provide them with impactful mentorship from academic, professional and industry leaders.

Each week, from now until November 25, 2020 a new nominee is featured. All ten feature nominees will be paired with a selected mentor for career development, as well as stand a chance to win one of two R25 000 scholarships.

If you know any aspiring, current or recently graduated healthcare students or are one yourself, submit a nomination to stand a chance to win: https://partners.24.com/SponsorsofBrave/Nominations/index.html 

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