An Interview with a Quantum Computing Community Leader, Lorraine Tsitsi Majiri - The President of OneQuantum Africa

Building community and giving back are two forces driving Lorraine to contribute to the field of Quantum Computing. While talking to her, her zeal for community service was apparent on top of her deep interest in Quantum Computing. In this interview, she introduces us to quantum computing landscape in Zimbabwe and African continent, different community initiatives and the promise of quantum computing.

Mihir: How did you find out about Quantum Computing? Why did it influence a few of you?

Lorraine: I first found out about it from a friend, Esther Munakandafa. We studied together in high school at a boarding school. She was away studying IT and discovered quantum computing through mentorship Zimbabwe. We had remained in touch throughout the years. She also introduced me to the OneQuantum Africa. She explained that since I had interest in computing, I should join the community of OneQuantum Africa and discover more about quantum computing. That prompted me to attend the very first meeting of OneQuantum Africa. I found quantum computing very interesting and exciting. The people were warm and welcoming in the community. I decided to take the first step and join the community.

Mihir: Did you introduce quantum computing to your colleagues?

Lorraine: I told my classmates about it. However, we were in the last year of our program and many were busy with dissertation and other work, so they were not able to participate actively in quantum computing community. That’s why only about 3-5 students were active. After graduation, more of my former classmates have become active in the field. I would say about 30 are now taking interest in quantum computing. At this point, all of my classmates are aware about quantum computing, because I tell them about it. Some of them are also exploring how to embed it in their own work.

Mihir: How do you explain quantum computing to your colleagues, who have never heard about it before?

Lorraine: I start by mentioning that some literature referred Richard Feynman as the father of quantum mechanics and he said that nobody understands quantum mechanics. Thus, I explain that even the scientist of Feynman’s caliber said that nobody understands quantum mechanics, so quantum fields are not to be afraid of. I go on to say that my interest is more on the computing side of quantum and not on physics or mechanics side. Quantum computing is using quantum mechanics for computation. The field is very broad. I always say that quantum computing has something for everyone as long as you are interested in it. I highlight that quantum computing might help with solving few problems, it might solve few on its own, but it will not solve every single computing problem of the world.

Mihir: Is there an area of quantum computing’s practical application that you find exciting?

Lorraine: While participating in NYU hackathon, I learned that quantum computing can be used in music. That was very interesting to me. Until then, I had never imagined that quantum computing can be used to create music.

Mihir: Let’s pivot to your community efforts. You are the second president of OneQuantum Africa. What is One Quantum Africa?

Lorraine: Andre Konig is the Chair of the OneQuantum as a whole. OneQuantum is a global entity that has chapters across the world. Farai Mazhandu, the first president of OneQuantum Africa, did a great job of building and expanding quantum community on the continent. I picked up from where Farai left. Now the goal is to make quantum computing more accessible, since the world has opened after the pandemic. Local chapters in countries like Ghana, Libya, and Kenya have started organizing in-person events. OneQuantum has four pillars: community, mentorship, career, and skills. The mentorship that I received was so valuable in my growth not only in technical skills but personal skills as well. I understand the importance of community and mentorship. Ultimately, your mentors become your friends. Till today, I get assistance from my previous mentors. We celebrated Africa Unity Day, for example, through OneQuantum for community building. We have many projects that improved the skills of members.

Mihir: You are also a founding member of QZimbabwe, another community. How does that differ from OneQuantum Africa?

Lorraine: For me, QZimbabwe came before I got involved in OneQuantum Africa. QZimbabwe, we are more focused on education. We help people learn quantum computing through workshops like qbronze, qsilver and qnickle. You learn quantum algorithms, basic programming like quantum’s equivalent of ‘hello world’, and other skills. Then OneQuantum Africa helps you grow with those skills through its community and mentorship. You can turn the knowledge gained from QZimbabwe into a career or community. That is how the two are connected.

Mihir: What kind of support and partnership does QZimbabwe have?Lorraine: QZimbabwe is organizing a winter school in 2024, when it will be summer in USA. Many high schools and colleges are partnering with us on that and contributing to its growth.

Mihir: You have done many trainings in different areas of quantum computing? What was training strategy?

Lorraine: Once I came across quantum computing, I was very excited to learn. I am still excited. That is where my heart finds the happiness. Training for me was about get as much knowledge about the field as I could, and to explore the field in its broadness. I also wanted to find what area of the field I like and narrow down my interest in quantum computing. I was able to narrow down my interest to quantum machine learning.

I am also interested in giving back to the community, be a mentor to others, help out in different situation. So some of the trainings I did, helped me become an instructor. I wanted to be in a position where I could teach other Zimbabweans and I am able to do that now. I want everyone’s journey of learning quantum computing to be successful.

Mihir: What is the future of quantum computing? According to you, where is the field going?

Lorraine: Even with hardware and software limitations, there is so much research progress happening in quantum computing already. When the issues of today’s quantum computers are resolved, in future, we will be solving the problems that we are not able to solve today. We will reduce noise. We will have more qubits. Quantum computing, overall, will be more efficient. More and more theoretical aspects will turn into practical achievements.

Mihir: What message would you give to a new quantum computing aspirant?

Lorraine: Quantum computing is for everyone whether you are interested in biology, music, finance, chemistry or any other field. Learning quantum computing is like learning anything new. It comes with some challenges. Learning anything new is not easy. Quantum computing has many communities and support that helps with learning. Learning alone may not be easy. I faced many challenges while learning, but with the help of community I was able to overcome them. With passion and interest, you find your own space and avenue.

Mihir: That concludes the interview. Is there anything you would like to add?

Lorraine: If you are interested in something, go for it. It may look far, there may be some hiccups, and that’s life. There are no guarantees or promises that the life would be smooth. Never be afraid to seek help. If you work towards something, you will get it eventually. Good leaders always ask for help.

Further Reference Recommended by Lorraine

On the Shoulders of Giants: 10 Quantum Pioneers of the Past by Brian Lenahanand Kenna Hughes-CastleberryQiskit textbookThe Coding School (QubitxQubit) https://youtu.be/lbsuHWvXwzc?si=2BE12ovdp7lYOgiM Quantum Computation and Quantum Information by Michael A Neilsen and Isaac L ChuangAn introduction to quantum machine learning by Maria Schuld, Ilya Sinayskiy& Francesco Petruccione