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The bowl of porridge that changed my life

Elizabeth Nyamayaro was saved from starvation as a child by a local aid worker during a drought in Zimbabwe. It made her determined that one day she too would work for the UN.

When Elizabeth Nyamayaro was eight years old a severe drought hit her small Zimbabwean village. She was saved from starvation by a local United Nations aid worker, who gave her a bowl of porridge after finding her collapsed on the ground. It was an experience that made Elizabeth determined that one day she too would work for the UN. It was a difficult road, but she eventually made it to one of the top jobs in the organisation. She campaigned for global gender equality, and launched one of the UN’s most successful social media campaigns ever, HeForShe.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Picture: Elizabeth Nyamayaro
Credit: Behind the Cause

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40 minutes

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