Dr Nditsheni Jeanette Ramakuela from Sibasa recently introduced her first book, titled "Menopause: An aspect of women aging," during a book launch held at the Khoroni Hotel in Thohoyandou on Saturday, 15 July.
As a retired associate professor at the University of Venda (Univen) and a professional nurse with more than 30 years of experience, Ramakuela has interacted with many women seeking her professional opinion on reproduction and general health issues from adolescence to old age. Elderly women often ask her questions about menopause, a topic she initially lacked adequate information on.
Driven by her desire to provide accurate answers to their questions, Ramakuela used their queries as a basis for her research to write this book. Her Ph.D. thesis, completed in 2012 at Univen, focuses on "A Model to Facilitate Women Coping with Menopause" and emphasises women's empowerment, health promotion, and indigenous knowledge systems. After graduating, she published research papers on menopause in accredited journals and presented them at national and international conferences, drawing inspiration from her retired Ph.D. supervisor, Prof AH Akinsola.
A year's sabbatical leave granted by Univen gave her the opportunity to start writing the book. Despite facing initial challenges and procrastination, Ramakuela successfully completed her first book and expressed her excitement and gratitude for achieving this milestone with God's grace. She feels honoured and delighted to be an author and is grateful for the support and encouragement she received during the writing process.
For those interested in purchasing the book, they can contact Dr. Nditsheni Jeanette Ramakuela at 082 406 6574.