Dr J. Nozipo Maraire

Dr. J. Nozipo Maraire is an acclaimed Zimbabwean-born neurosurgeon, writer and entrepreneur. She is the author of Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter. The novel was published in 1996, was a New York Times "Notable Book of the Year" and a Boston Globe bestseller. It has been published and translated into over 14 languages. She lived and worked in the United States for 30 years and returned to Zimbabwe in 2012 to open her own neurosurgery practice and help improve Africa’s healthcare and economy. Dr Maraire attended Dominican Convent High School in Harare, she received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and then attended The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. She completed her neurosurgery training at Yale School of Medicine. She was awarded a Clinical Fellowship Award by The Congress of Neurological Surgeons which she used to work with Dr. Fred Epstein in paediatric neurosurgery in New York City. She is a public speaker who has been invited to lecture at colleges and universities across the United States and in Harare as well as TEDx Harare, a non-profit organization devoted to Ideas worth Spreading. In 2010, she was one of the winners of the British Airways Entrepreneur Face to Face Award for her entry of Ecosurgica, her vision for cutting edge, affordable health care in Southern Africa. She is the founder of Cutting-Edge Neurosurgeon Inc., a web-based start-up. She is also a founder and current Chairperson of Zimbabwe National Covid Action Trust (ZINCAT). Dr Maraire serves on several boards including St George’s College, Zimbabwe National Arts Council (Chairperson), Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (OMLAC), the selection committee for the Rhodes and Beit scholarships and formerly Island Hospice and as a trustee of the Tererai Trent Foundation. She is married to accomplished Urological surgeon, Dr Allen Chiura, and they have 4 children.