Cleopatra Sheilla Makura

Cleopatra Sheilla Makura is a youth advocate who has volunteered at SAYWHAT for the past three years as a peer educator providing information, counseling and referrals to peers in tertiary institutions. She also served as the SAYWHAT National Coordinating Chairperson, engaging parliamentarians and other key stakeholders for students’ sexual and reproductive health and rights. Additionally, Cleopatra served as a PrEP champion advocating for its acceptance in communities. She strongly believes in meaningful engagement and participation of young people in tertiary institutions to bring out positive change including the prevention of new HIV infections and ending AIDS. Cleopatra attained her degree in psychology in 2018 at the University of Zimbabwe.

Why I Want to Advocate for HIV Prevention in 2019, and What I Plan to Do
There are tools to prevent HIV such as PrEP and more are potentially on the horizon, such as the dapivirine ring. This gives me more power to advocate for HIV prevention. I want to influence my government to strengthen health services for HIV prevention, especially among young people. Specifically, my project aims to include PrEP in Zimbabwe’s university clinics as part of the minimum HIV/SRH package of services. I will also mobilize demand for PrEP on campus and engage students around ongoing research in Zimbabwe.

My Work as a Fellow

• CHANGE’s Stephanie Mithika interviewed Cleopatra Makura, a Zimbabwean HIV and AIDS advocate
• Young People Need More Contraceptive Options — and More Room at the Discussion Table
• COMPASS Reverse Congressional Delegation Advocates: Impress, inspire, inform and invigorate
• White House gets gender policy input from global group of young women