Jennifer Ngulube

Jennifer Ngulube, is a Child Protective Specialist with an Independent Foster Care Agency in England, she was appointed a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 2015 in recognition for her services to children. Jennifer, is also a mother of four and a grandmother. Jennifer has looked after a wide range of children most of whom came from abusive and negligent backgrounds in her own home.

Her career started in Zimbabwe where she is originally from she taught children with special needs ranging from mild learning difficulties to profound cognitive impairment to terminal illness; many were orphans abandoned at birth. On moving to the UK, her love for working with disadvantaged children saw her becoming a foster carer that contributed to her being awarded an MBE.

In addition to her work, Jennifer speaks at numerous local and international events, sits on several panels and is about to launch a consultancy around caring for children with challenging behaviours. She has recently completed a book, ‘Sailing the Storms of Life.  The proceeds from book sales will go towards a fund to build a residential home for street children in Bulawayo.  Jennifer has over the years worked tirelessly to support children living in orphanages and on the streets. Jennifer empathises with children because she grew up under difficult conditions in her home country of Zimbabwe.  Jennifer has very real memories of living under the rule of the former President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe. In her book she takes us back to some of the extremely traumatic times she faced and her loss of many friends and relatives through the infamous genocide, which saw his regime slaughter over 20,000 people from the Ndebele tribe which is the tribe she comes from.

Jennifer has been apprehensive for many years to publish her story or mention the Mugabe regime out of fear, the unplanned timing of her book being published a few days before Mugabe stepped down has made the occasion even more special.