About Us: Our Team

Chumani Nkwinti

Programme Officer, South Africa

Chumani Nkwinti is EMpower's Programme Officer based in South Africa. She manages part of EMpower’s grant-making portfolio in the region, working closely with the Senior Programme Officer in South Africa. One of her primary responsibilities is working with young people to develop a participatory initiative on gender and mental health to help shape the Meaningful Youth Engagement component in South Africa.

Chumani brings a wealth of experience and dedication as a youth development practitioner passionate about mental health, children's rights, and youth empowerment. She holds an Honours degree from Rhodes University and is currently pursuing a Master's in Community Mental Health at the South African College of Applied Psychology.

Her volunteering and academic journey reflect a passion for meaningful societal impact. Driven by the belief that emotional well-being is the cornerstone of a thriving society, she has volunteered at organisations like Life-line and SADAG, gaining insights into mental health challenges.

Before joining EMpower, she was a Programme Officer at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, where she honed her skills in community development, facilitation, project design, project coordination, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement. Through the Youth Leadership Programme, she developed and executed programmes targeting critical child and youth-related issues and was involved in various projects, including Efeng Bacha, Children’s Parliament, and the 2023 Children’s Manifesto.

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