Pinehas Nakaziko
Windhoek
“I am a go-getter and firmly believe in placing education at the forefront of everything I do. I am an independent woman and strive to do great in every endeavour I undertake,” says Beatrix Bianca Auala, one of the youngest lawyers in the country, who also owns her own law firm, BB Boois Attorneys.
Bianca is a strong advocate in ensuring that the criminal justice system remains oiled. She also provides free legal advice to communities who would otherwise not have access to a legal practitioner, targeting women in these communities as they run the households. Her long-term goal is to run a wholly female-owned law firm consisting of just female lawyers championing women’s rights.
“In front of you, you see a young and determined woman, who wishes to empower and inspire the youth of Namibia to do, and be, great,” she makes her determination clear.
Auala was born in Windhoek and raised with tons of love and discipline by her parents. “I was taught that you should always be humble and never turn a blind eye to the ill-treatment or suffering of those less fortunate than yourself.”
One of her basic challenges was being the first born of four sisters and she has to be an example to them all. “I always found myself in the role of deputy-parent. This means that my every move had to be calculated as I knew from an early age that I was an example to my sisters and that they would be inspired to follow in my footsteps no matter what path I took,” she says.
She always had to make positive choices to ensure her siblings have the right footsteps to follow in.
Auala started her schooling at Emma Hoogenhout Primary School (EHPS), where she says discipline and hard work were instilled in them from Grade 1. She completed high school in 2001 at Delta Secondary School Windhoek (DSSW) and obtained her LLB (Bachelor of Laws) degree from the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
“I spent five years at university, most of the time in the library as law needs a lot of reading and attention.”
She also spent nine months in Armidale, Australia as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. The main aim of the programme was to promote international peace and understanding between the two nations. Currently, Auala is living her dreams with her law firm that she initiated from humble beginnings.
“I am extremely passionate about criminal law. I believe that the manner in which we treat our accused persons says a lot about us as a nation. My aim is to create a criminal justice system in which we respect the rights of those who find themselves entangled within the criminal justice system, and we treat them with the highest standards of humanity and dignity,” she says, adding that she wants those who are working within the criminal justice to always ask themselves how would they treat the suspect or accused person if he or she were their brother/cousin/mother, etc.
“Entering the professional world has been very exciting after so many years of study. I finally get to put theory into practice. I enjoy being a defence attorney as I am the voice of those who would otherwise not be heard. When I am able to help someone, the attitude of gratitude on their faces and those of their loved ones is what keeps me going.” This year Auala was selected as one of the Namibians to participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
“I entered the fellowship on the business and entrepreneurial track, assigned to the University of San Diego in San Diego, California. It is a Catholic university, committed to preparing compassionate and ethical leaders, and offering programmes in liberal arts, business and many more.”