Sandra Nyika

Zimbabwe

Sandra Nyika is a Zimbabwean educator, researcher, and social entrepreneur working at the nexus of climate justice, gender equity, and community resilience. She is the founder of Jenesis Empowerment Trust, a grassroots organization addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and access to education through climate-smart agriculture, entrepreneurship, and youth-focused interventions.

Sandra also leads Climate Chronicles, a storytelling and advocacy platform under Jenesis that documents grassroots climate solutions across Zimbabwe—particularly the experiences and leadership of rural women. Her work is grounded in her lived experience growing up in a drought-prone rural community, and shaped by academic training in Education, Geography, and Environmental Science.

She is a 2022 Mandela Washington Fellow, a 2020 YALI Education Changemaker, and was named among Opportunities Hub’s 100 Most Influential Young People in 2021. Her work has been recognized across national and regional platforms for its commitment to youth leadership, climate action, and systems change.

Her current project, Voices from the Frontline, documents how rural Zimbabwean women are navigating the climate crisis. Through short documentaries, community screenings, and policy dialogues, the project highlights women’s resilience, innovation, and leadership—positioning them not as victims, but as key agents of transformation in the face of the polycrisis.

Learn more at jettrust.org, climatechronicles.org, or connect on LinkedIn.