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EX-BEAUTY QUEEN, MATILDA KERRY TO REPRESENT NIGERIA AT MANDELA FELLOWSHIP IN US

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The United States Government has announced its selection of 100 young
Nigerians to participate in the 2016 Mandela Fellowship. And our very own  Ex beauty queen, Matilda Kerry is one of the
selected candidates from Nigeria.
The U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria said in a statement, on Friday, that
the beneficiaries were selected from among other 10,000 Nigerian applicants and
tens of other applicants from across Africa.According to the statement, the
selected applicants, who were selected from across Nigeria, would undergo
six-week studies in civic leadership, business and entrepreneurship and public
management in various universities in the United States.

The Mandela fellowship was initiated by the U.S Government to recognise the
increasing roles that young Africans are playing in strengthening democratic
institutions, economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa. The
Mandela Fellowship, which empowers Young African Leaders through academic
coursework, leadership training and networking, started in 2014; so far, 86
Nigerians have participated in the programme. The Fellows, who are between the
ages of 25 and 35, have established records of accomplishments in promoting
innovation and positive change in their organisations, institutions,
communities and countries.
Dr. Matilda Kerry is the Founder of George Kerry Life Foundation an NGO
working towards equitable health care for all African women. She has over eight
years’ experience in community health outreach programs focusing mainly on
women’s health through a fast growing cervical cancer campaign.
This cervical cancer control campaign’s goal is to provide free screening
to 1000 Nigerian women annually.  So far
it has reached and screened over 100,000 families and 9000 community women
respectively. Creating awareness about cervical cancer is key to this campaign
and the campaign needs more local and international partnerships to continue to
empower women through multimedia messages, social network and direct face to
face engagement.  Also, in order to
continue and further expand the reach of the free health services offered to
neglected impoverished women, steady funding from a long term partner and
sponsor is critical. Finally this campaign seeks partnerships with institutions
to train primary healthcare workers in establishing preventive cancer awareness
and screening services at the grassroots and ensure every woman has a fair
chance of preventing and beating cervical cancer.
Dr. Matilda Kerry also works at the community health department of the
Lagos University Teaching hospital where she joins a team of public health
specialists to provide much needed vaccination and treatment services to
community women and children. Dr. Matilda Kerry is a member of the West African
College of Physicians and holds a Master’s Degree in public health from the
University of Lagos.  She is also a
member of the Sexuality Leadership development fellowship a program that
Provide exposure to cutting-edge conceptual, theoretical and programming issues
in sexuality, sexual health and sexual rights.
After the Mandela Washington fellowship, she hopes to partner with like-minded international organizations to expand the reach of ongoing cervical
cancer control activities and begin to positively impact the inequities
crippling the healthcare system in Nigeria.
Dr. Matilda Kerry held the renowned and glamorous title of the Most
Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2000 and represented Nigeria at both the Miss
Universe and Miss World pageant.
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