Name: Nondumiso “DIVA” Mthethwa

Province: KwaZulu-Natal

Facebook: Nondumiso Nongcebo Mthethwa

Twitter handle: @nntmthethwa

Instagram: Ms Diva Nondu

Write a short blurb (summary) about yourself. In no more than three sentences.

I am a lady aged 24 and currently working as an Ambassador at ANOVA Health Institute, a peer mentor at Dreams Thina Abantu Abasha & Africa Unite. I’m very passionate about community development and advocacy. I’m bubbly, energetic and I am a KZN A! Health Champion as well as a founder of Footprince Youth Development Project.

Why did you decide to be part of the ACTIVATE! Network?

I needed to expand my knowledge by learning new things, relearn what I already know and to pass it to others and unlearn all the bad habits and myths that were hindering my way forward as a young person.

What did you enjoy the most about training?

My Past Collage; where I had to deal with things I didn’t want to talk about, the wash line planning tool, my iconic self & my journey it was a platform of introspection and now I know who I am and where I am going.

How has training helped you or changed your perspective?

Before the training the drive of helping adolescent girls and young women I gained from my past experiences that I haven’t dealt with but my perspective changed when I had to open up and tell my stories for the first time

Have you been inspired and been the inspiration in your community and those you interact with?

Always. I have been inspired by my pain to inspire others. As far as I can remember, I started being an inspiration in my community when I was 13 years old with a dance group called Glamour Girls where I got the name “Diva” – from a Beyonce song called I Am A Diva.

What do you think the role of the youth is in developing the country?

We are capable but we are still treating the symptoms rather than the root cause.

What is your field of interest?

Community development of key population, the voiceless, the violated adolescent girls and young women & the LGBTQIA+ community.

How are you driving change in your communit?

I’m driving change in my community by being involved as a brand ambassador for the Health 4 Men project of ANOVA Health Institute (MSM & TG /LGBTIQA), a peer mentor for Dreams Thina Abantu Abasha project (AGYM), peer mentor for Africa Unite (Human rights & advocacy), KZN A! Health champion, serving in the disciplinary committee of the eThekwini Youth Sector & Footprince Youth Development. All these projects interlink in my world by conducting dialogues, seminars, workshops, talks. That how I’m driving change giving information and implementations. 

Now that you have completed training, how do you plan to keep active in the network?

I serve as a KZN A! Health champion where we host imbizos, hackathons, webinars and being present and adding value, ideas, input on social issues as young people that we face.

I also collaborate with other Activators that share the same ideology as me so that we can do work that will have an impact in our community.

What are your plans for this year?

• To go to Amsterdam for the AIDS conference
• To make an impact on many spaces and to grow my business and being the change I want to see with my Footprince Youth Development Project.

Is social media an effective way by which you can receive communication from us?

Yes, it very helpful because that is where we as the youth spend their precious time in.

Additional information you would like us to know?

During school holidays, I have sessions with adolescent girls and young women. I’m all about women empowerment in the Durban Pinetown district as I’m also a young mother (I am 24 years old) to a beautiful girl, Senamile, that I got when I was 19 (teen mom).  #YouthHealthMatters #GirlEmpowerment #AbstainBefaithfulCondomise #7Bs