Cape Town

As a result of the awareness of oppression of women under the Apartheid system and the influence from radical feminists, Pat Horn joined student women’s groups at Wits University in the 1970s. This was also a result of inspiration from radical feminist colleagues in the University Christian Movement (UCM) at the University. During this time she lived in Cape Town and participated in national student women’s groups activities. Reading through the works of Juliet Mitchell, Sheila Rowbotham and others made her more aware of the exploitation faced by working class women.

Mfusi Hoza was an AGI associate in 2005. Having left the AGI on 31 July 2006, I then proceeded to Umtata to attend my mother’s sister’s funeral who had passed away while I was still in Cape Town. The bright side of the sad event was that it made it possible for me to meet a good number of my family members including meeting some of my kids at the same place after the three months’ stay at UCT.

I was born and raised in Kenya. I began my engagement with community development work right after high school, through an apprenticeship with a local Kenyan organization KEFEADO based in Kisumu, Kenya. I had an opportunity to work alongside other educationalists on a one year programme that dealt with the questions of enrolment, retention and completion of school by girls. Having completed high school in what was a considered a school in rural Kenya, the multiplicity of issues that young women in Busia and later Migori (both administrative districts in Kenya) where the project was replicated was for me a far cry from what I had experienced and had then considered ‘suffering’. I can safely argue that my interest in women’s rights begun at this point.