Scholastica Kimaryo

Scholastica Kimaryo (born 1949) is a Tanzanian life coach and women's rights advocate, who formerly worked as an international civil servant and journalist for three decades. Born in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania, she fought against tradition to earn her secondary and tertiary education. After attending the Girls' High School in Tabora, in 1971 she earned a Bachelor of Science in home economics through a cooperative arrangement with Victoria University of Manchester and the University of East Africa, of Nairobi. She worked as a journalist and earned a post-graduate diploma in journalism from the University of Dar es Salaam, in a programme sponsored by the government-owned Tanganyika Standard.

After nearly a decade in journalism, Kimyaro began working with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) holding posts as the National Programme Officer in Tanzania (1981-1984), Botswana (1984-1990), South Africa (1992-1998), and Liberia (1998-2001). During her tenure, she worked on projects to improve and develop schools, introduce peace initiatives, protect children's rights, and eliminate poverty. In the 1990s, she also returned to her studies, earning a Master of Science degree in Social Policy, Planning & Participation in Developing Countries from the London School of Economics. After more than two decades with UNICEF, Kimaryo was promoted to serve in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Representative to Lesotho (2001-2005) and then to South Africa (2005-2007). Her work there focused on developing protocols for the response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa and poverty and unemployment reduction. In 2008 and 2009, she served as the first person to be the UNDP Deputy Assistant Administrator and Deputy Regional Director for East & Southern Africa, with responsibility for overseeing UN operations in 23 African nations. After retiring in 2009, Kimaryo earned a certification from the Chopra Center University, as a meditation instructor and ayurvedic lifestyle coach. She has remained active in women's organisations and as a speaker on finding a balance between personal well-being and work/life commitments.