Fadzi Whande is chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the UNHCR (The UN refugees agency) in Geneva. She was born in Zimbabwe, brought up in USA, has lived on 4 continents, and refers to herself as an Afro-Aussie.

Fadzi is an expert in her field, encouraging and inspiring many, many people, including me, to create inclusive spaces and open up to learning from one another whatever our background.

In this interview, Fadzi talks about her personal and professional journey. She begins by talking about how her life experiences have shaped her perspective on inclusion and belonging, and how her vocation found her.

She goes on to share the story of how she navigated a significant setback in her life - the breakdown of her marriage - and the guiding principles and mindsets that sustained her as she built a new life and career.

One of her principles is "do it afraid." She courageously put this into action when she chose to go to back to study during the year she turned 40 while bringing up 2 young boys. Although it was hard at first, she kept moving forward step by step and, encouraged by her faith, she chose to cultivate a teachable spirit and to live by example, knowing that her boys (and others) were watching her.

A significant shift happened when she was able to change her perspective from being the victim of what she had suffered and looking to others as the solution, to becoming more proactive, realising that while we cannot control what happens to us, we can learn from everything and everyone as we take responsibility for our actions and our future.

This is a warm and authentic interview filled with wisdom and hope for us all.

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