Fazlyn Petersen, senior information systems lecturer at the University of the Western Cape

It was during the Covid-19 pandemic that Fazlyn Petersen realised she wanted to dedicate herself to leveraging technology for social impact. As a mentor, researcher, and advocate for inclusivity, Petersen knew she wanted to empower communities, inspire future leaders, and drive transformative change in education, health, and technology. 

“Witnessing how socio-economic disparities magnified digital access challenges among students reinforced my purpose: to drive inclusivity and equity. This was my ‘aha’ moment and it sparked innovative solutions, like using data-free platforms and tailored online resources, which continues to shape my work in Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) today.”