Netsayi Chimenya Gowero Kilembe, from Malawi, was born to a teenage mother who lived in a rural area in Malawi. When she was seven, her brother was born prematurely. The memory of her mother feeding her premature brother alone through a nasogastric tube inspired Netsayi’s career in neonatal nursing.
She is currently completing a doctorate in neonatal nursing at the University of Connecticut, with a thesis on culturally tailored tube-feeding education for low-birth-weight infants in low-resource settings. To achieve this aim, she is designing, carrying out, and assessing evidence-based interventions that work in resource-limited settings.
Netsayi has 12 years of experience as a nurse, midwife, educator, and researcher in Malawi and Connecticut. In 2013, she was named Malawi’s Best Neonatal Nurse by the Ministry of Health and received the International Neonatal Excellence Award from the Council of International Neonatal Nurses.
After completing her PhD, Netsayi plans to return to Malawi to establish a neonatal nutrition unit, collaborate with global experts, and influence newborn health practices across sub-Saharan Africa. She aims to become a pediatric nurse consultant, training nurses and providing expert guidance to patients and families worldwide.
In 2015, Netsayi co-founded the Help the Child Foundation, providing basic needs and educational support to underprivileged children. The organization is based in Zomba, Malawi, a rural area that has a high rate of child marriages and school dropouts, especially among girls. Netsayi also founded Sparkle for Infection Prevention, promoting hygiene and infection control in public hospitals.
