Coming full circle
By: Emma Wigmore
Last updated: Friday, 29 November 2024
Landa Mabenge
Landa Mabenge delivering his talk, ‘The Sussex Connection: An Iterative Journey of Becoming’ to current Sussex students
Landa Mabenge gained an MA in Gender Studies from Sussex in 2021, where he received a Top Sociology Scholar Award. Now a PhD candidate in Public Health at the University of Cape Town (UCT), Landa is also an educationalist through his independent consultancy, Landa Mabenge Consulting, and is the author of the book, ‘Becoming Him: A Trans Memoir of Triumph.’
Landa arrived at Sussex at the height of the Covid pandemic, which meant he didn’t get to experience a traditional campus life. Compelled to put this right, Landa returned to Sussex earlier this year, using his visit as an opportunity to deliver a talk to students entitled, ‘The Sussex Connection: An Iterative Journey of Becoming.’ Revisiting Sussex was a key part of his life journey, he explains:
“Coming back to campus and seeing so many people was quite the adventure! During my time at Sussex, most of the students on site were international scholars, like me. It was a ghost campus and many of the facilities were adapted for the COVID-19 reality.
“Being back and in the company of so many others made me appreciate the value that Sussex affords all who study there. I spent a lot of time at the new Student Centre, and I loved it! It was an organic full circle experience, and I am truly grateful I got to live it.”
Reflecting on what his time at Sussex taught him, Landa continues:
“I learned that life requires agility. We are born into narratives that dictate how our trajectories should unfold. And yet, most of the time this never materialises because life will always progress on its own terms.
“Being a student during Covid showed me that there are many ways to achieve a goal, and at times this will require an agile approach. Nobody could have adequately prepared for what came with the pandemic, and very few emerged from it unscathed. Yet, here we are, moving forward as best we can.
“So, in a nutshell, my takeaway is that the script we are handed the moment we are born will not necessarily see us through everything that is thrown before us. We need to adapt as we journey through life.”
Now studying for his PhD, Landa acknowledges how Sussex laid the groundwork for his academic progression. He says:
“Sussex became a premise for greater self-discovery. I appreciated the commitment my school (Law, Politics and Sociology) made towards co-creating with the students. I was able to conduct a South African-based study, which I am now expanding on at PhD level.
“My tutors were approachable and relatable, and they ensured that, despite the pandemic, we did not have a compromised academic experience. I was able to fully embed myself in the theory and practice of my academic programme, and I found my supervisor to be both enabling and supportive. Sussex became the base on which I could level-up.”
The title of Landa’s PhD is, ‘Gender-Affirming healthcare for transgender and gender-diverse students at public university facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa.’ His motivation to pursue this area of research was at least partly influenced by his personal healthcare experience at Sussex. He explains:
“As a trans man I arrived in the UK with no hormones, but it was only a short time before I had access to a hormone regime through the campus healthcare facility. I did well holistically as a result. That’s what inspired my research into finding a way to introduce accessible healthcare for trans and gender diverse students back in South Africa.
“I want to explore what the needs and experiences of these students are, while juxtaposing them against the comprehension and capabilities of healthcare practitioners at public universities. In my country, the government has a priority plan for young adults who must access sexual healthcare at primary healthcare facilities. This is usually in community settings. For students, the campus itself is the community that serves their primary healthcare needs.
“The intention of my PhD is to illustrate, through exploratory research, that all students have a right to affirming and respectful primary healthcare, including counselling and sex hormones for trans and gender diverse students, as part of a healthy sexual healthcare regime. It is my hope that this becomes a reality as it would not only aid sexual health, it would enhance academic success.”
As a final word, Landa expresses his gratitude for his Chevening Scholarship, recognising the transformative impact that it had on his life. He says:
“A scholarship directly enables deserving students to progress academically and holistically; it is a sure-fire way to change the course of their lives. Without the Chevening Scholarship, I would not have had such an enriching experience. My scholarship unleashed something within me, and I now find myself one step closer to being able to pay this magical gift forward.”