Esther Ndashaala graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems from the University of Kentucky, an achievement she describes as both a personal breakthrough and a heartfelt tribute to the village and people who shaped her. She hails from the sunbaked fields of Okapya in northern Namibia.
Her graduate studies in the U.S. focused on sustainable food systems and community-based interventions, equipping her with the tools to address nutritional challenges in Namibia and beyond.
Her performance earned her the integrity of serving as the student commencement speaker, a role she fulfilled with self-confidence and passion.
“This achievement was made possible through the prestigious Fulbright Foreign Student Programme. Which opened doors that once felt unreachable for a girl from a small village in Ogongo,” she said.
She wants to use her expertise to promote food security, healthier communities, and sustainable development across the continent.
Her journey is deeply rooted in personal loss and the lived reality of food insecurity. Growing up in Okapya, where families depended on erratic rainfall to grow staple crops like maize and mahangu, meals were uncertain and nutrition scarce.
At just seven years old, she experienced a tragedy that shaped her future. Her childhood friend died from malnutrition.
“That was the hardest thing ever for me. I didn’t understand death,” she said.
Her grandmother eventually explained the unthinkable loss was due to a lack of food. That explanation lit a spark in her young mind, one that would drive her to dedicate her life to nutrition and public health.
“I felt like I’m the change that I needed when I was younger. Nutrition, for me, I needed to do it,” she said.
Her academic foundation was laid at the University of Namibia, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology. But her vision extended beyond the classroom. She sought to understand not just the science of nutrition, but how it could be harnessed to combat non-communicable diseases and prevent future generations from enduring the pain she once did. Now, as a trained food scientist and nutritionist, she applies her knowledge close to home. Her 94-year-old grandfather, once at risk of developing high blood pressure, now benefits from her daily nutritional guidance, a living example of science applied with love.
“Nutrition is really close to my heart. I’m really happy that I’m able to now advise.”
In her own words: “I carry my village with me the pain, the promise, and the hope. This degree is not just mine; it belongs to Okapya, to Namibia, to every little girl who wonders if she can make it. You can,” she concluded.