WEDNESDAY // GloSpotlight Varaidzo “Vee” Kativhu The headline: British-Zimbabwean education activist. YouTuber. Author. International speaker. The backstory: Born in Zimbabwe. Her father died when she was 2. At 6 she moved to the UK with her mother. Her first high school was in Wales. She faced racism and bullying there. The family moved to Dudley. At 16 she worked at McDonald’s during A-Levels to help at home. She became the first in her school to get into Oxford. The pivot: While at Oxford she started YouTube as @veekativhu98. She documented life as a Black African woman studying Classical Archaeology & Ancient History at Lady Margaret Hall. The channel grew to over 500,000 followers. Malala appeared in her videos. The build: She founded Empowered By Vee. The charity runs skill-based workshops to get underrepresented students into higher education. She wrote _EMPOWERED: Live Your Life with Passion and Purpose_ to share the blueprint. The credentials: Oxford BA. Harvard Masters in International Education Policy. PhD in Education Leadership at Claremont Graduate University, defended in 2026 at age 27. The recognition: BBC 100 Women 2023. Diana Legacy Award from Prince William & Prince Harry. British Vogue Force For Change 2024. Youngest Honorary Doctorate from University of Bradford. UN Young Leader for the SDGs. Why she matters: _“Education is my superpower and it gives me the key to unlock knowledge of this incredible world and to empower myself.”_ From Zimbabwe to Oxford. From McDonald’s to Harvard. She turns access into action. #GloSpotlight #VaraidzoKativhu