Mamello Makhele
Gender activist
Mamello Makhele is a registered nurse-midwife dedicated to improving healthcare service delivery in the rural areas of Lesotho, where there is a high maternal mortality rate due to early and forced teenage marriages. Mamello left her job at the biggest hospital in the country to join a community clinic where she believes her impact can be the greatest. Her passion for improving the healthcare system and empowering young women to take control of their health led her to start an adolescent corner, which she has incorporated into the clinic. Mamello is a SheDecides leader in Lesotho, where she contributed towards the development and the inclusivity of the SADC strategy on sexual and reproductive rights. She is also a member of SAFAIDS Youth Advocacy and Accountability, where she advocates for the up-scaling of the prevention of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions among sexually active adolescents. As a gender and maternal health advocate, Mamello has represented Lesotho on various international platforms, including the International Conference on Population and Development held in Kenya and the virtual 65th Commission on the Status of Women held in New York.