​Cancer of the oesophagus is one of the most understudied cancers in Africa. The disease has a peculiar distribution in the world – with a high incidence in China and Africa. In southern Africa it is more prevalent on the eastern side of the continent, all the way down to South Africa, and researchers are still trying to figure out why this is the case.

This is why Hanna Simba, a PhD candidate in Public Health (with the African Cancer Institute), was thrilled when she heard she was one of 11 grantees to receive the Margaret McNamara Education grant valued at $7000 (about R120 000) to study the disease in more detail. 

The grant will go towards her PhD research entitled "The role of Environmental and Genetic Factors in the Aetiology of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oesophagus (OSCC) in the Eastern Cape Province of SA". 

"I was very excited to hear I got the grant. I had applied a number of times and was wondering if I should keep on trying or not. I'm particularly thrilled because the grant allows me to continue with my PhD as a full-time student. So many students don't have that opportunity because of funding issues. So I'm happy and grateful," Simba said in an interview.

On her particular interest in the Eastern Cape, she said that, in South Africa, oesophageal cancer is more prevalent in that province. "What interests me is to try and work out why it has that peculiar distribution – and what are the factors contributing to that," she said.

"Oesophageal cancer is lethal and understudied in the African population, therefore its epidemiology, as well as the genetic and environmental basis of the disease is not well understood. The results of this study will shed more light on the aetiology of OSCC, and increase knowledge on environmental exposures and the role of genetic factors in the development of the disease."

The Margaret McNamara Education Grant supports women from developing countries who are pursuing their postgraduate studies. The organisation "draws inspiration from Margaret McNamara, and her vision of education and gender equality". The grant is awarded every year to a select group of women who have demonstrated financial need and are committed to working for the well-being of women and children.

Simba, 29, who is originally from Zimbabwe, came to South Africa for her undergraduate studies in 2011. She has a keen interest in the mentoring and guidance of African girls and believes it is crucial if they are to realise their potential. Besides her studies, she has, for the past eight years been closely involved in empowerment work with girls through tutoring in schools and organising camps and workshops.

She is the Chapter Leader of Working to Advance STEM education for African Girls (WAAW), an organisation which works to advance education for African girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Through her work she has trained about 20 university students as mentors and reached hundreds of girls.

"The response has been great. The kids are so interested in these subjects. We go and do science experiments with them and talk about careers in science. It's uplifting! You feel so good afterwards.

"As a young girl I was always interested in science. Girls are not encouraged to do science subjects at school, or they are scared of them."

Simba – who loves yoga and going to the beach when she's not working – plans to continue in the world of academia and research. "I would like to stay in the cancer field and, most importantly, to nurture other young scientists who are also getting into academia.

"I am only one. I can't do everything, but I can do something" are words she lives by. "I've found my purpose in medical research and the empowerment of women. I want to change the status quo. Throughout my undergraduate studies where I had 28 courses, I was lectured by only one female professor. This bothered me. We need locally trained female scientists who will sit in critical decision- making bodies and represent women. When women lack mentorship and guidance, they fail to reach their full potential. I want to change that."