A 23-year-old Zambian student, Ivwananji Nawila, has achieved the highest academic honour in the Russian education system, the Red Degree, from Kuban State Agrarian University.
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This prestigious award, equivalent to a Magna Cum Laude distinction, signifies exceptional academic performance.
Nawila, originally from Luanshya on Zambia’s Copperbelt, pursued a degree in Agronomy with the support of the Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB).
Her journey to this remarkable achievement was paved with personal challenges and unwavering determination.
Raised by her grandmother, whom she affectionately calls her mother, Nawila credits her success to her grandmother’s resilience as a small-scale businesswoman.
“My parents were unable to provide for me or take me to school. My grandmother loved me so much and at two years old she took me in as her own,” Nawila shared in an interview with #Kalemba.
During her time in Russia, Nawila’s talents extended beyond academics. She gained recognition for her leadership, notably representing all foreign students at Russia’s largest agriculture forum, the Golden Autumn Agro-Industrial Exhibition.
There, she addressed the Russian Minister of Agriculture and was subsequently invited twice more to discuss the vital role of agriculture in Zambia’s economy.
With her Red Degree now in hand, Nawila has ambitious plans for the future. She aims to establish a thriving agribusiness empire in Zambia, encompassing everything from production and processing to exports.
“I am passionate about agriculture and want to become the blueprint for success in Zambian agriculture,” she stated.
Ivwananji Nawila’s plans to return to Zambia and is ready to transform her vision into a tangible impact on the nation’s agricultural landscape.
By George Musonda
Kalemba July 13, 2025
