An affirming HIV-positive Black woman, Marvelous Muchenje is a natural leader, engaging, hilarious motivational speaker, and trusted advisor to her peers. She has captivated audiences around the world with her inspiring messages of advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and rights, improving the quality of life of people living with HIV, and women's empowerment. Since her first Keynote speech in 2003 at the European Social Forum, Marvelous has shared her story as a racialized woman living with HIV with thousands in over 15 countries.
Marvelous’ mission and message is about being bold enough to leave our comfort zones, pursue our personal goals and having the courage to tell our stories and give hope to the hopeless. She equips people, organizations, communities, and networks with the tools to work as a team, build capacity, and tackle shared challenges.
Marvelous’ career history includes:
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20 years’ experience working as a manager, project coordinator, and other administrative roles in the non-profit and NGO sector
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12 years' experience working in the global non-profit sector (specializing in grant management, annual financial reports, stakeholder/donor relations and staff/volunteer management
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Two years as an International Civil Society representative on the Robert Carr Funding Network (RCF), setting strategic direction for the Fund, making decisions about funding priorities and the framework for monitoring, evaluation and learning, deciding on funding allocations with advice, supporting fundraising
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Overseeing implementation of RCF activities in collaboration with UNAIDS, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis, Aidsfonds, and civil society partners.
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Three years as the International Steering Committee member representing North America for International Community for Women Living with HIV.
Marvelous sits on several national and regional boards with a global reach, which she uses to uplift the narratives of those who face injustice. She earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree at Ryerson University, Masters in Global Health at McMaster University, and is currently a PhD student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Marvelous has received local and National awards for her speaking, advocacy, and philanthropy.
UBUNTU
"I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE"
As a sexual violence survivor, I have developed resources, peer facilitated workshops and conducted one-on-one counselling sessions with sexual violence survivors. I have a strong understanding of gender equality and women's empowerment, especially related to community mobilization and movement building/strengthening. I have experience working with civil society in the area of Violence Against Women (VAW), including for example on management, coordination, capacity building, mapping exercises, gap analyses, etc. Knowledge of root causes, risk factors and social norms that enable violence against women.
