Afrobrarometer Communications Coordinator
and NDP 2030 youth ambassador Gugu Nonjinge explains the significance of her foundation's sterling work.
Mentorship assures young people that they're not alone in dealing with life's challenges and that someone cares about them. It has powerful positive effects on youth and connects them to personal growth and development, as well as social and economic opportunities.
I was fortunate enough to be mentored by powerful women, including my late mother and Charmaine Houvet, Director of Government Affairs at Cisco, who guided me on which career to pursue and steps to take to where I am today.
I've always believed I can make a difference to the youth in this country and that belief led me to start my NPO, which advocates for constitutional rights to life, dignity, equality, freedom and safety for young South Africans.
The role of the Gugu Nonjinge Foundation is that of a catalyst for girls and young women to seize opportunities that enable them to realise their true potential. Our main project is the numbers tutorial programme, a professionally run weekly maths and science educational intervention for 40 girls in Grades 11 and 12 from Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Beyond the maths lessons, we offer them career advice with a specific focus on the science, technology, engineering and maths fields.
I love what I do and I'm always looking for opportunities to impact young people's lives through mentorship. Apart from running the foundation, I co-founded LeBrunchSA with Mlibo Bashe. We host social events like brunches, high teas and luncheons as platforms for young women from diverse backgrounds to connect and network.
I've learnt that in order to be an advocate for social change, you need to be resilient and remain purposeful, especially when faced with challenges. Fortunately, I work in an organisation that enables me to bring a little of my personal work into the office. While I'm aware of the vast need for mentorship programmes, I go to bed with the best feeling ever: knowing that I've done my best to improve someone's life.
