Nomfundo Mkhaba

Youth in Environment and Sustainability

Nominee's Province:
Kwazulu-natal

Age:
35

Project Name/Description:
Waste for Change

More info:
https://www.facebook.com/mfundo.mkhaba

When 35-year-old environmental rights activist Nomfundo Mkhaba from Durban, co-established a non-profit organisation (NGO) Waste for Change in 2019, the vision was to reduce waste from going into landfills. This was immediately after her graduation from the Centre for Environmental Rights. “I wanted to activate community participation and accountability in cases where we believe it is the government that needs to do things for us,” she explains. They started by identifying illegal dumpsites, collecting the waste, sorting it into different categories, and selling it to various outlets to create revenue. “From the sales, the money would go back to the community members who assisted with pick-ups,” she adds. “Our primary focus has been low-income communities that lack waste management services and the capacity to help them recover from environmental challenges.” The NGO has grown to also offer climate education and awareness, protection of indigenous knowledge systems, heritage, culture, and leadership. Mkhaba currently serves as the project developer. She works with a team of 30 from local communities in the eThekwini Municipality as well as a fraction of people who are considered “the scum of the community”. The idea is to work with them and support them on their journey to recovery. She has participated in several activities and campaigns for environmental clean-up such as the Pick ‘n Pay beach clean-up. Since 2020 the NGO has dedicated Saturdays to picking up waste in local communities for recycling purposes.