This fall, Danai Nhando (MC/MPA '25) joined the Carr Center as one of its Student Ambassadors. Danai is a human rights lawyer and social impact programs specialist with extensive experience in human-rights litigation, strategy, education technology, policy, advocacy, and grassroots campaigning. She has held global, regional, and national leadership roles across multi-sectoral social impact, humanitarian, and nonprofit organizations, and currently serves as a Mason Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. We spoke with Danai to learn more about her background and work in human rights policy.
Can you tell us about yourself and your background in public policy and human rights?
I was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and my roots span Southern Africa, shaped by my upbringing in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa, the country I now call home. These lands shaped me, grounding me in the rich, diverse culture of our region.
I am a human rights lawyer, and my professional background encompasses human rights litigation, strategy, education technology, policy, advocacy, and grassroots campaigning. I hold a Bachelor of Commerce in Law and Economics, an LLB from Rhodes University in South Africa, and an MBA from the University of London.
My journey began in human rights litigation at a legal aid clinic in Eastern Cape, South Africa, where I provided pro bono legal services to marginalized communities. Motivated by justice, I became disheartened by the limited impact of individual courtroom cases and yearned for scalable solutions to create lasting change. This led me to explore the intersection of technology and social justice, aiming to improve governance structures and scale solutions across Southern Africa, with a particular passion for education.
As the Regional General Manager at Higherlife Foundation, the largest scholarship provider for orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa, I pioneered the development of Ruzivo Smart Learning (RSL), Zimbabwe’s first digital learning platform for primary and secondary students. A decade later, RSL has become a leading online learning tool in Southern Africa, serving 1.6 million students and 26,000 teachers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zimbabwean government endorsed RSL as the official remote learning platform, ensuring uninterrupted education nationwide.
In 2008, tragedy struck when I lost both my parents in a devastating car accident. That moment shattered my world, but it also redefined it. Grief became my greatest teacher, reshaping my perspective on life and justice. It pushed me to live with intention, to honor their legacy by pursuing a life of purpose, and to inspire others to find strength in their own storms. Fifteen years later, my story is one of resilience. It is a testament to hope—proof that even in the depths of loss, we can emerge stronger, determined to leave a lasting impact on the world.
Before coming to ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø, I joined Change.org as its first hire in Africa in 2020, a role that allowed me to amplify the voices of citizens and support grassroots campaigns across the continent. I helped establish Change.org’s African presence, growing the user base in South Africa to over 6 million and leading impactful campaigns across Southern Africa. One notable online campaign addressed Indigenous rights during oil and gas exploration, mobilizing over 400,000 online supporters. This became the country's largest environmental campaign, culminating in a landmark court judgment, emphasizing the duty to honor Indigenous practices and influencing decision-makers to consider cultural and environmental impacts in granting exploration licenses. This highlights the profound impact of citizens' voices on shaping democracy.
Which degree are you studying at Harvard Kennedy School, and what are your main areas of interest?
I am pursuing the Mid-Career Master’s in Public Administration (MC/MPA) as a Mason Fellow, with a focus on tech policy and the impact of AI regulation on human rights. My interests are grounded in a commitment to social justice, particularly as technology, including AI, presents both opportunities and risks in the realms of governance and public policy.
One of my primary areas of interest is exploring how AI introduces human rights challenges, particularly concerning consumer privacy, surveillance by state and private actors, and systemic discrimination in decision-making processes such as hiring or healthcare. AI algorithms, while promising in many ways, are exacerbating biases and inequalities, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. I believe it is crucial to develop proactive, rights-based approaches to AI regulation, working with policymakers, regulatory bodies, and standard-setting organizations to establish robust frameworks that ensure AI development prioritizes human rights protections and ethical standards.
Additionally, I am deeply focused on leadership and negotiation, particularly through the lens of adaptive leadership. I am learning how leaders can navigate complex, systemic challenges to foster change in marginalized communities. In my work, I aim to build social movements that use both technology and adaptive leadership principles to address critical issues, from human rights to community empowerment. My goal is to understand how adaptive leadership can unite diverse stakeholders, foster collaboration, and drive lasting societal impact.
What drove you to join the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy as a Student Ambassador, and what do you hope to accomplish during your time with the Carr Center?
The Carr Center for Human Rights Policy holds a special place in my heart because of the transformative role it plays in shaping global human rights discourse. I have always believed that human rights should not be an isolated field for a select few advocates or lawyers, but a central pillar of all public policy. Joining the Carr Center as a Student Ambassador felt like the perfect opportunity to contribute to that vision and to continue my journey of translating my work into a global platform for social justice.
My career trajectory has been closely aligned with the work of the Carr Center long before I became a student at ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø. In fact, one of the defining moments of my career came in 2016 when I enrolled in Professor Douglas Johnson’s executive course, Leading Nonviolent Movements for Social Progress, which radically shifted my perspective on the role of technology in human rights movements. This course helped me see how digital tools could be harnessed to amplify social justice causes on a scale that was previously unimaginable. The experience was transformative and deepened my commitment to advancing human rights through innovative, tech-driven approaches.
When I arrived at ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø, I knew I wanted to continue this work and find ways to connect my background in grassroots campaigning and tech-driven solutions with the world-class resources of the Carr Center. As a Student Ambassador, I aim to bridge the gap between the Carr Center’s work and the broader ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø student community, facilitating collaborations that emphasize the centrality of human rights in policymaking. Too often, human rights are relegated to the sidelines of policy discussions, but through events, dialogues, and cross-disciplinary initiatives, I hope to challenge that narrative.
My vision for my time with the Carr Center is to curate spaces where students and policymakers can come together to demystify human rights and explore how they can integrate these principles into their policy frameworks. Whether through fostering dialogue, organizing impactful events, or facilitating cross-sector collaborations, I want to help build a collective understanding that human rights are not only a moral imperative but a foundational element in effective and just governance.