Ms. Martha S. Shongwe is currently the Senior Inspector of Schools – English for Swaziland schools, a position she has held since 2002. Her responsibilities include monitoring professional standards in the teaching and learning of English Language and Literature, representing the Ministry of Education in matters related to the teaching of English in other organizations locally and internationally, and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching English.

Ms. Shongwe also serves as a Deputy National Research Coordinator for Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality, focusing on literacy. This research sheds light on specific areas where interventions may be made regarding literacy.

Ms. Shongwe holds a master’s degree from Oxford Brookes University. She also earned a bachelor of humanities degree, majoring in English language and literature at the University of Swaziland, as well as a concurrent diploma in education.

During her Humphrey year, Ms. Shongwe will expand her knowledge of literacy training in a Second/Foreign Language at different levels within the U.S. system of education and then design a program that may suit the Swazi context.