"From the struggles of District Six to leading the fight against alcohol harm in Southern Africa, Aadielah Maker Diedericks embodies resilience and advocacy, empowering communities to make informed health choices.
When Aadielah Maker Diedericks talks about what shaped her life's work, she does not begin with university or her career. Instead, she goes back to her childhood, where inequality was not an abstract concept but something her family experienced every day.
Born in District Six before her family was forcibly removed to Mitchell's Plain, Diedericks grew up witnessing how inequality affected people's lives. Those experiences ultimately steered her towards a career in public health and advocacy.
Today, the 58-year-old is Secretary General of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA), working across Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to promote evidence-based alcohol policies that reduce harm and protect vulnerable families.
"I had a brother who had a disability and lacked access to facilities. That was compounded by growing up in Mitchell's Plain, where young girls I went to school with were falling pregnant at a young age," Diedericks said.
