Umunyana Rugege

On my one on one I am in conversation with recently appointed Executive Director for Section27, Umunyana Rugege, about her career. Section27 is a social justice organisation based in South Africa. It was established in 2010 as the AIDS Law Project, one of the most successful post-apartheid human rights organisations, Section27 has become a leading public interest law center. Born in Roma, Lesotho, Rugege grew up wanting to be a “tree-hugger” but later refined this passion with a degree in environmental studies from the State University of New York, Buffalo. In 2002 she completed a master’s in environmental management at Cornell University before studying law at the University of Cape Town. But while many of her classmates were waiting tables on the weekends, elegant Rugege was gracing the catwalks in the fashion capitals of the world. Now she fights for the rights of those who are vulnerable.