Wendy Ngubane

.I was born in 1980 in Mzinti, Nkomazi , where I have always lived

I joined Youth in Action in 2003 as a youth co-ordinator in charge of Education and children’s work. In 2009, I headed up the Reclissa program “Back to School” in partnership with Khulisa (Johannesburg). It was a 3 year program and we worked with 1000 children by encouraging them to stay in school. Many have gone on to tertiary education and have good jobs. I was trained by Khulisa in Johannesburg where I met people from different SADC countries. This broadened my views of life through meeting new ways of thinking.

I ran Thembalethu’s after-school care program in 14 villages and co-ordinated the Adventure Weeks with BBC and other volunteers. I still see many of the children and am encouraged to see how much they benefit from the Adventure Weeks.

In 2008, I led a delegation of children representing Mpumalanga Province, to the International Children’s parliament in Johannesburg which hosted delegates from SADC countries. We did this through the Mandela Children’s fund in celebration of Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday..

I also did HIV and AIDS research with PSG in Swaziland. In 2009, I went to Kenya on a SADC conference on HIV and AIDS . For a number of years I was a director of the Nkomazi Trust

I’m proud to have been a key influence on the youth in Nkomazi during the time when HIV and AIDS were so prevalent. I see and hear from the community of the positive impact that we had during that time.

I benefited a lot from my time with Thembalethu and I use the skills I learnt to continue to help others. For example, I work with young people from impoverished communities in Swaziland by teaching them to be self reliant as I set up a car-wash business for them and I purchased a grass-cutting machine so they can work to earn money to buy their own food and pay rent.

The Thembalethu family is a “big one” and we still communicate with each other. May God continue to bless my brothers and sisters!