Biography

Nomthandazo Gumede is a 29 year old female originally from Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Community Development and Psychology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (2022).

She is passionate about grassroots development, youth empowerment, and community-led change. Her hands-on experience spans youth programmes, child welfare, and civic engagement in under-resourced South African communities.

From July 2024 to August 2025, she served as a Youth Programmes Intern at Phakamani Young Minds Academy, where she co-facilitated youth development workshops, coordinated community outreach activities, and managed stakeholder communication across multiple programmes. In this role, she built strong, trust-based relationships with learners, caregivers, and community partners, strengthening programme buy-in and ensuring activities remained on track. She also compiled programme reports, translating field activities into clear, actionable insights.

Previously, she worked as a Caregiver at African Child at Work (2023-2024), providing direct support to vulnerable children, assisting with daily routines and welfare needs, and maintaining accurate case records in a fast-paced, resource-constrained care environment. In 2021, she served as a Data Capture and Voters Roll Officer for the Independent Electoral Commission in Durban, upholding strict standards of accuracy and confidentiality during a high-volume national civic process.

Skilled in community engagement, project coordination, cross-cultural communication, and adaptability, Nomthandazo is committed to twelve months of full immersion in a host community, co-designing and delivering small-scale, high-impact, locally driven projects that last beyond her service. Her approach is rooted in empathy, resilience and authentic service for sustainable change. She aspires to grow through the CorpsAfrica experience and serve as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer.