Zawadi Mukwege: Overcoming challenges and following in her family’s footsteps

At Georgian, we believe nurses are heroes. Because true heroes are defined by traits we can’t see: strong hearts, bright minds, and a whole lot of courage.
Over the next few months we’ll be sharing stories about #GCHeroes: people from Georgian’s nursing community – graduates, faculty and students – who are overcoming challenges and working hard every single day.

Today we’re introducing you to Zawadi, a lifelong learner, wife and mother. Zawadi overcame the challenges of navigating the educational system in a new country and juggling her studies with family life. She just graduated from Georgian’s Collaborative BScN program with York University.

Tell us about yourself

I moved to Canada 18 years ago from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to join my husband who was living and working in the Kitchener/Waterloo area at the time as a teacher after completing his degree at university of Ottawa. We now live in Port Elgin and he’s a principal at a local school in the Grey Bruce community.

I had completed high school and one year of university with the intention of going to medical school in DRC but followed my heart to Canada instead. When I decided to go to postsecondary school in Canada, I had to complete some upgrading to help get into the nursing program. While I was living in Kitchener, I did one year of the nursing degree through McMaster University at Conestoga College. I took a break from postsecondary to raise our three children – Mwema (17), Yuhai (15), and Amini (12). When we relocated to Grey Bruce for my husband’s work I continued my nursing degree at Georgian and will be graduating this this spring at a virtual ceremony on June 29with York University.

A black female wearing a blue nursing uniform and a face mask sitting hear medical equipment

What motivates you?

I believe that the main thing that motivates me is my deep structure and belief of helping and empowering other people when they need me the most.

Who are your nursing heroes?

I have two heroes. The first one is my mom, who’s a nurse. She has been a hero to me because she really inspired me on what dedication means and also, she has been an amazing support for my dad in his career. She doesn’t do as much bedside care anymore but does a lot to help my dad with all his other projects – helping women who have been sexually assaulted, orphans, etc. Together they have helped so many people. My father would have not been able to do the amazing work he is doing without my mom. She has been a nurse for over 30 years.

My other hero would be Florence Nightingale. I never knew about her until I moved to Canada. Through my postsecondary school I learnt a lot about her personal journey and her tenacity. For a person from a higher social rank, being a nurse was not acceptable. She never gave up and did everything possible to make a big difference. She had to face adversity just to be a nurse and her resilience inspired me to push through to achieve my dream and my goal.

Why did you decide to become a nurse?

I grew up around the hospital where my father worked. He was a big inspiration to me personally. He is a dedicated doctor who always puts his patients first. I used to follow him during rounds and seeing him take care of his patients really inspired me. Even today, he is still the same – still fighting for women in the Congo and women across the globe who have been victims of sexual violence. His dedication and passion have motivated me to go into the health-care field. I originally wanted to follow his footsteps, to become a doctor, but I realized that I didn’t need to be a doctor to make a difference. I like the perspective of nursing because I will be able to spend a lot of time with my patients and grow nurse-patient therapeutic relationships.

What challenges did you overcome to get where you are?

The biggest challenge was being far from home, being in a new area and trying to navigate the educational system. I came from the Congo already as a high school graduate and with one year of university. I thought it would be easy to continue my education. I thought I just needed to show my paperwork and immediately be allowed to continue with my studies, but it wasn’t as simple as that. It was challenging to navigate the process to get where I wanted to be.

At the same time, I had a family to take care of – not having my extended family to lean on was difficult too. It was just between my husband and I to do this. I had to be a good planner.

I didn’t find it challenging as a mature student; wasn’t hard to be around the younger students. I enjoyed the vibrant spirit of being around them.

During my two years at Georgian, it was easy to talk to the professors. They were understanding and especially supportive of me being a parent. When I went to York university it involved a bit of planning and scheduling. I would travel back and forth between Toronto and Port Elgin, but I would sometimes stay in Toronto for a few days and come back home to spend time with my family whenever possible.

A smiling black female wearing glasses and a blue nursing uniform

What are your greatest achievements?

Raising my children! I’m very proud of that. I’m also proud to be able to graduate and become an RN. It’s been a long journey and I feel proud of myself for not giving up. Sometimes I felt like giving up. For example, when I was driving to class in a snowstorm or when I had to wake up at 4 a.m. so I can be on time at a placement an hour and half from home.

What makes Georgian a great place to learn?

The faculty in Owen Sound were amazing. I could also easily stop into the lab and practise my skills . . . plus talk to my professors if they were there and they would review skills with me.

During my two years at Georgian, it was easy to talk to the professors. They were understanding and especially supportive of me being a parent. The faculty in Owen Sound were amazing.

Again, the fact that campus was small it made it easier to navigate. With the small campus at Georgian, it felt like a family. York University is a big campus and was a bit overwhelming, running from one class to another. I was often frustrated as I would get lost at times.

At Georgian it was very easy to access resources and there is a great variety of helpful resource centres (writing, learning strategies, etc.) which was very helpful in my success.

Why do you think the new BScN program was needed?

The new BScN is needed at Georgian, and in Owen Sound in particular because there’s so many others in the community who want to do the program. It will be good to have all four years here for people who don’t want to uproot their family for the second two years of there program.

This will make it accessible and possible for those who were dreaming of a nursing career to achieve their dream by having the degree offered so close to home.

Also, Grey Bruce and Ontario in general has faced a great nursing shortage. The COVID-19 pandemic is not at the root of the shortage, but the pandemic has just heightened this shortage crisis . Therefore, opening the BScN program at Georgian will respond to the need of nursing staff in our rural area and anywhere else in Ontario.

I want to stay in the community and work here as a nurse. There is a need for nurses everywhere, but I’m planning on staying here in Bruce county. I would like to volunteer during my vacation time. And I’d love to go overseas and help other communities – I’m quite passionate about that. I definitely see myself going to the Congo during some of my holidays and working alongside my father, giving back to the community where I grew up – that would be the cherry on top of the cake!

How has the pandemic affected your view of nursing? and nurses?

The pandemic has deepened my view and beliefs about nursing. I see how big and important the role of nurses in health care is and in the pattern of healing. In my opinion, nurses are some of the most important frontline workers. Without nurses during the pandemic, it would have been a complete disaster. They are dedicated, have been working really hard even through adversity and they really prioritize their patient’s health. The nurse’s dedication is mind blowing!

What was your placement like?

When attending Georgian, I did two placements at the Wiarton Hospital and one placement in Collingwood on the medical-surgical floor providing care and treatment to patients that are ill or in the recovering process. I did my final consolidation at the Southampton Hospital doing a log of similar things. All the placements were wonderful. Many of the nurses during my training were willing to teach and support me, which is very important for me as a nursing student. As a nurse student, I needed the opportunities to learn and to grow. During all my placements with Grey-Bruce health services,

I really had a lot of great opportunities to develop my nursing skills and my critical thinking.

A black female wearing a blue nursing uniform using a stethoscope on a patient in a bed

Zawadi’s father, Dr. Denis Mukwege was named the 2018 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a gynecologist treating victims of sexual violence. In 1999, Dr. Mukwege founded the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in eastern Congo. The hospital was founded after war erupted between Congo and Rwanda that eventually spread to engulf half a dozen countries. Each year the hospital, of which Dr. Mukwege is the medical director, treats thousands of women who are victims of sexual violence. In awarding him the Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wrote “the importance of Dr. Mukwege’s enduring, dedicated and selfless efforts on this field cannot be overstated. He has repeatedly condemned impunity for mass rape and criticized the Congolese government and other countries for not doing enough to stop the use of sexual violence against women as a strategy and a weapon of war.”

More about Georgian’s nursing degree

Study close to home and graduate with the advantage of more industry connections, hands-on practise and one-on-one training with small class sizes taught by expert faculty who care.