Behind the research: Kudzai Vanyoro

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium.

Kudzai worked with the programme back in 2015 as a Research Communications intern at the African Centre for Migration and Society, at the University of Witwatersrand. Kudzai went on to study a Masters in Critical Diversity Studies from the Wits Centre for Diversity Studies, and now works there in the Marketing and Liaison Office.

"Through my involvement with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, I learnt about how migration plays an important role in the inclusion and exclusion of people. I learnt that those who lay a claim to a particular space, as theirs, do so relying on the myth that they found the place, whether it's a city, municipality or a nation. However, my engagement with migration discourse during my internship at ACMS taught me that everyone is a migrant somewhere. 

Working with the programme broadened my understanding of space politics and reflectively placing myself in any understanding of a scenario. For example, as a migrant living in South Africa, I managed to write several blogs in which I placed my experiences at the centre of academic narration. This helped me learn that my body is actually a site of research data. My challenge now is how do I ethically retrieve and apply that 'data within'.  

I managed to write 2 blogs and contributed towards the marketing of the launch of Xenowatch an ACMS platform which monitors xenophobia in South Africa. I was also able to form strategic networks, I am still in touch with most of them today."

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Kudzai!