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Commonwealth Scholarship Recipients 2024
Commonwealth Distance Learning Master’s Scholarships are awarded to talented individuals with the potential to make a positive impact on the global stage. The scholarships are managed by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the UK.
We are delighted to introduce the ICwS 2024/2025 scholarship recipients who are currently registered on our MA Human Rights by distance learning. The ICwS was awarded five full scholarships under the theme ‘Access, Inclusion and Opportunity'.
2024 Recipients
Zerin Ahmed is a development professional with over seven years experience in environmental justice and human rights advocacy. As a Senior Programme Officer at Oxfam in Bangladesh, she works in the Climate Justice and Natural Resource Rights portfolio, leading advocacy, strategic campaigning, and capacity-building efforts. She engages with grassroots communities, women leaders, and policymakers to ensure marginalized voices are included in climate finance and governance discussions.
Previously, at BRAC’s Social Innovation Lab, she managed communications for the STITCH for RMG project, promoting a just and sustainable future for women in the garment sector. Her tenure at Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative (BYEI) involved leading national-level youth engagement programs on environmental education and activism.
With expertise in project management and strategic communications, Zerin has engaged government bodies, CSOs, private sector stakeholders, and media in conversations on climate justice, workers’ and growers' rights, and feminist development approaches. Initially majoring in English Literature from the University of Dhaka, she is now continuing her studies on Human Rights at University of London, aiming to become an advocate for marginalized voices in justice movements.
Emmanuel Ampofo Darkwah is an associate pastor of the Seventh - day Adventist church (Asesewa District), HIV counsellor and a public health professional currently pursing Masters Degrees in Human Rights at the University of London. He holds Bachelor of Arts in Theological Studies from Valley View University, Ghana. He is a human rights activist who advocates for the rights of all persons irrespective of their status who access healthcare at the facility. His expertise include sexual and reproductive education, HIV and TB education, and a discrimination and stigma advocate for persons living with HIV. Most importantly, he advocates for sexual and reproductive rights of girls and women, gender based violence, and equity in the health system in Upper Manya Krobo District og Ghana.
Meshalini Govender is an education specialist based in South Africa and a Commonwealth Scholarship recipient currently pursuing her Master’s in Human Rights through the University of London. Her career has spanned three countries across South Africa, China, and Somalia, where she has contributed to education through classroom teaching, teacher training, curriculum development, and instructional design. Passionate about inclusive, sustainable education and social development, Meshalini’s work reflects her belief that education should inspire action, not just knowledge. She is keen to engage in any work that seeks to empower individuals through education, especially in unstable, conflict-afflicted, or rural settings.
Zaheed Ndeketa is a Malawian Lawyer admitted to the Bar to practice law in 2017 and he is currently employed as Assistant Director of Malawi Legal Aid Bureau where, among others, he represents in court and provide legal advice to people of insufficient means and those that are vulnerable. He has been with the Legal Aid Bureau since 2018 when he transitioned from private practice to join the Bureau. He holds a Bachelor of Law(LLB) from Zanzibar University obtained in 2012 and a Master’s degree in Law (Private Law) from Istanbul Commerce University obtained in 2018. The ideal of providing legal services to those who cannot secure a legal practitioner (the majority of people in the country) is what drove him to join Legal Aid Bureau. The many cases of human rights abuse and violations that he came across working for the the Bureau pushed me towards acquiring an in-depth study of human rights, and, in that regard, he was privileged to have been granted a Commonwealth scholarship in 2024 to undertake an MA in Human Rights at the prestigious University of London. His study, thus far, has introduced him to areas of study that he hopes to explore more in the future to wit; Human rights bases approach to development, environmental human rights and human rights bases foreign policy. Apart from the aforementioned areas of interest, he likes researching and litigating on issues that deal with violations of human rights such illegal detention and depravation of freedom, degrading and inhuman punishment and cases of people with mental disabilities.
Billy Ojwang is a Kenyan development worker with nearly a decade of experience in community health, specializing in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) interventions for adolescents and young people. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development from Moi University and currently serves as a project lead at Mildmay International Kenya, driving initiatives that promote community health and resilience in West Kenya. Billy is actively involved in SRHR technical working groups across three counties and chairs the boards of two Community-Based Organizations. With a keen interest in digital innovation, he is exploring the intersection of digitization, SRHR, and human rights. He has also led two youth-focused podcast projects aimed at enhancing engagement and awareness.
This page was last updated on 8 April 2025
