Aadielah Maker Diedericks: Leading the fight against alcohol harm in Southern Africa

“From the struggles of District Six to leading the fight against alcohol harm in Southern Africa, Aadielah Maker Diedericks embodies resilience and advocacy, empowering communities to make informed health choices. When Aadielah Maker Diedericks talks about what shaped her life’s work, she does not begin with university or her career. Instead, she goes back to her childhood, where inequality was not an abstract concept but something her family experienced every day.

Born inDistrict Sixbefore her family was forcibly removed to Mitchell’s Plain, Diedericks grew up witnessing how inequality affected people’s lives. Those experiences ultimately steered her towards a career inpublic health and advocacy. “I had a brother who had a disability and lacked access to facilities.

That was compounded by growing up in Mitchell’s Plain, where young girls I went to school with were falling pregnant at a young age,” Diedericks said. “Meeting people living with HIV in person changed me. I was at university when Shaun Mellors, who was living with HIV and AIDS, addressed our third-year psychology class.

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It strengthened my determination to address the social and environmental factors that influence people’s health and the choices they make.” For more than three decades, Diedericks has worked in sexual and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, child and youth development, gender equality, and violence prevention. She holds a Master’s degree in Community Health from the University of New South Wales in Australia. Among the achievements she is most proud of is helping develop the Soul Buddyz multimedia intervention.

When children across South Africa embraced the pilot project, it led to the creation of Soul Buddyz clubs that continue to have an impact today. “When we tested the pilot project, children across South Africa asked to join. We had never intended to create a club, but that response led to the birth of Soul Buddyz clubs across the country,” she said.

“Even today, adults tell me what Soul Buddyz meant in their lives, and that reminds me what children can achieve when they are given opportunities.” Despite her accomplishments, Diedericks says becoming a leader meant first learning to believe in her own voice. “One of the biggest challenges as a Black woman leader has been developing confidence in my own voice. Apartheid affected many people’s self-esteem and, with English being my second language, I had to work hard to build the confidence to speak up in rooms filled with academics and professionals.” More than three decades later, that same belief continues to guide her work in public health advocacy.

“Change is a long-term project. Every one person’s life you impact creates a ripple effect. When people tell me our work has changed their lives, it reminds me why this work matters.”

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