At Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region, science is more than laboratories, data and production lines. It is curiosity in action. It is purpose translated into impact. On 11 February we marked the International Day of Girls and Women in Science. Now, we reflect on how women are driving the innovations our world needs most; from water stewardship and food safety to decarbonisation and Net Zero commitments. Their work doesn't just advance our sustainability goals. It shapes the future of food, engineering and quality for communities across our region.
The spark of curiosity
For many of the women in our STEM community, the journey began with a simple question: why?
Ten-year-old Jemima Luis asked endless questions about how things worked, until her parents bought her a book for her birthday: “Tell Me Everything.”
She tore through its pages that afternoon, sprawled across her bedroom floor. But the book didn't satisfy her curiosity; it ignited it. Each answer sparked ten new questions. Each explanation revealed mysteries she'd never considered.
That relentless wonder never left her. Today, as a Product Technology Graduate at Nestlé ESAR, Jemima applies those analytical approaches and problem-solving principles daily. Her research on nanomaterial membranes for water treatment, evaluating their ability to remove pharmaceutical contaminants of emerging concern, directly supports our commitment to water stewardship across ESAR operations.
This work directly supports our commitment to water stewardship across ESAR operations. As water is both an operational necessity and key ingredient, addressing emerging pharmaceutical contaminants is crucial for protecting the ecosystems we depend on and ensuring long-term water security for our operations and communities. It's exactly the kind of research that creates shared value: developing treatment technologies that protect product quality while contributing to broader environmental and public health goals.
She also achieved her master's in engineering with distinction before turning 25, all whilst working full-time at Nestlé. “Achieving this goal reminded me that I'm capable of anything I commit to,” she reflects.
Where food meets science
In another corner of the region, a different kind of curiosity was taking shape. For Christinah Shibure, the spark came from watching science transform lives.
She spent hours as a child watching documentaries, realising how science could cure diseases, solve crimes and drive innovations that improved everyday life. As she grew older, she developed a love for baking and cooking, experimenting with simple ingredients to create new versions of familiar dishes.
"Blending creativity with innovation inspired me to pursue an academic path that united my love for food and science," she explains.
Today, as one of our Product Technology Graduates, that blend of passion drives her work. Her projects have clear benefits to consumer health and sustainability, continually challenging her to experiment, apply problem-solving skills and innovate to achieve breakthroughs.
“What keeps me motivated is knowing I contribute to solutions that impact people's daily lives, work within a team that fosters innovation, and wake up each day to pursue a career my 10-year-old self would be proud of,” she says.
“Food safety isn't only about meeting regulations. It's about consistency, accountability and protecting consumers at scale. When processes improve and people grow in confidence and competence, the impact reaches far beyond the factory floor.” – Yuktha Jaglal
Making food safer
Similarly, Yuktha Jaglal has always wanted to understand why things work the way they do and how small details can have big consequences. Working in food safety and quality for confectionery production across ESAR, childhood curiosity became purpose.
“Science isn't abstract,” she explains. “It directly affects people's health, trust and everyday experiences.”
Recently, she led a project that strengthened food safety culture across production environments – not just systems and paperwork, but real behavioural change. By improving the factory's cleaning tools, her work reduced contamination and foreign-body issues by 89%, significantly enhancing product safety.
“Food safety isn't only about meeting regulations," she notes. “It's about consistency, accountability and protecting consumers at scale. When processes improve and people grow in confidence and competence, the impact reaches far beyond the factory floor.”
Engineering the invisible
Meanwhile, Yashalia Chaitram sees what others overlook. Where most people see industrial processes, she sees opportunities for systemic change.
“Chemical engineers are the architects of invisible processes,” she explains. “We design the reactions that purify water, refine medicines, generate energy. Most people never see our work, but they experience its outcomes every day.”
Currently pursuing her MSc whilst working as a Technical Graduate in Manufacturing Services, her research into converting saline water into green hydrogen exemplifies breakthrough thinking. If scalable, the process could help decarbonise industries whilst addressing water scarcity, exactly the dual-impact solution our sustainability strategy demands.
“Most hydrogen production relies on scarce freshwater, which creates a 'water versus energy' conflict,” she notes. “My research focuses on bypassing this by using non-potable water sources powered entirely by renewable energy.”
It's precisely the kind of innovation that supports our commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050 and defines Nestlé ESAR's Creating Shared Value approach: solutions delivering environmental, social and business value simultaneously.
From curiosity to impact
From water treatment to hydrogen innovation, from food science to safety culture; each of these journeys demonstrates how curiosity becomes the innovations our world needs most.
These four women exemplify what happens when wonder meets opportunity and rigour meets purpose.
The little girls asking “why?” have become the scientists answering, “here's how.”
At Nestlé ESAR, we're proud to support their journeys. Because when women in STEM are championed, innovation flourishes and communities thrive.
The future belongs to those who refuse to stop asking.
