Above is a phrase that best describes Nomthandazo. She is a young African woman with a large appetite for life, learning and growth. Born and bred in the beautiful province of KwaZulu-Natal; Cebekhulu has been fortunate enough to experience life from several angles thus being exposed to a variety of situations and the diverse individuals who were role-players therein.
Cebekhulu is a lover of beautiful things and experiences, a collector of valuable knowledge and an optimist of note. “I believe that most of what one envisions for one’s life is achievable through implementing the values of faith, focus, discipline and consistency. We only fail once we have given up trying,” said Cebekhulu
“I’m passionate about the empowerment of young people from townships and rural areas as I believe that there’s a lot of unexpressed potential roaming the streets of such places,” she added
Cebekhulu has seen the frustrations of some of these young people manifest itself through self-destructive activities like substance abuse, unplanned pregnancies and crime. “It is my dream to work with these young people in creating and implementing solutions which will break the devastating cycle that they find themselves in, “she said.
The vision that she has for her stay at Soul City Institute for Social Justice is that this will be a long and edifying journey of learning, discovering aspects of myself and my capabilities which she is currently not aware of and accumulating knowledge on how South African communities truly function. Cebekhulu brings with her the skills that she has accumulated during the progression of her career and her unique personality which she believes the colleagues at SCI will appreciate.
Just as the Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu said, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. This is my first step, and I am ready, “said Cebekhulu.