Praise Matemavi

Praise Matemavi (born June 24, 1981) in Zimbabwe. Dr. Praise Matemavi, the first Zimbabwean abdominal transplant surgeon completed her multivisceral transplant surgery fellowship at University of Nebraska Medical Center. She graduated from Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine and did her general surgery residency at New York Presbyterian Queens Hospital.From teenage pregnancy Matemavi graduated to become transplant surgeon. She has written a book Passion and Purpose: Black Female Surgeons that gives role models to young girls.She has also authored Lesson for my Daughter: Adapted from life experience.
 * 

Quotes

 * "My message to teen mom’s: you made a mistake, so what! No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. Pick yourself up and be a boss babe. Building a beautiful life and empire for you and your kids. Take the obstacles in your life and use them as building blocks for an amazing life. Have a vision for your life and set specific goals with deadlines to achieve those goals. Trust in God and believe in yourself. Have confidence, be brave. You are amazing and you are worthy. You can do anything if you set your mind to it. You have to be willing to work day and night to achieve your dreams."
 * 
 * "I always believed in myself. I always believed I could do anything I wanted to do. There was never a doubt in my mind that I could do anything."
 * 
 * "To the young teenage mother, you are not damaged goods. God loves you as you are. Have a plan for your life and work hard to achieve your goals not only for you but for your child. Build a support system around you. We need each other to succeed. I always say it took a village to make Zimbabwe’s first abdominal transplant and hepato biliary trained surgeon."
 * 
 * "I didn’t know how I was going to ever fulfill my dream."
 * 

Quotes about her

 * She fought her way to the top in a male-dominated field despite hearing discouraging comments like, “Girls don’t belong in an operating room,” from some attending physicians.
 * 
 * Her training is in transplantation of the liver, pancreas, small bowel and kidneys as well as hepatopancreatobiliary surgery.
 * .
 *