The youngest of three siblings raised by a single mum, Durban-born-and-educated, Sizamile Mkhwanazi, is one of the many women who keeps the cogs running smoothly at The Domino Foundation.
Affectionately known as ‘Zam’, she nurtured dreams of travelling the world before joining the outreach group in high school which gave her new perspective and changed all that.
“I starting looking at the world through a different lens and realised how I wanted to be part of an army of change agents,” said Mkhwanazi.
Throughout her schooling Mkhwanazi said she was always assuming an empathetic leadership role. “So often, I was the shoulder to cry on and the listening ear for people facing challenges,” she said.
While studying for a Bachelor of Social Work degree, she was invited to an empowerment initiative, ‘Business in a Box’, run by Domino Business Development. This was her introduction to The Domino Foundation through its relationship with Domino Business.
Mkhwanazi volunteered to help with the foundation’s Research and Evaluation team, with its Red Light anti-human-trafficking programme and came alongside the volunteer co-ordinator to facilitate and host schools and business groups that give their time to help with Domino’s seven programmes.
She was so captivated by the foundation’s vision to “change a life, change a community” that she went onto to become a permanent staff member and the self-confessed “staff stewardess of the office”, the link between volunteers and their programmes of interest.
Mkhwanazi is firmly convinced that her position at Domino is truly God’s plan for her: “I am humbled and honoured to be part of such a power engine. I feel my contribution is bringing warmth, energy and friendliness to our offices.”
At this year’s aQuellé Tour Durban Cycling race, this dynamo mobilised volunteers with the registration of cyclists and with water tables, and helped at the finish line. She was a vital cog in Domino’s Mandela Day activations with schools and companies to make a grand total of 7300 sandwiches for the sixty Early Childhood Development centres Domino works with.
Mkhwanazi describes her “God-given gift” as one of healing, helping and uplifting hearts with her all-embracing personality: “I am also here to connect people with other people so that they can in some way live out their purpose in changing our nation.”
Steve van der Merwe, the foundation’s CEO said: “Domino has remarkable women heading up virtually every area of its day-to-day activities impacting some 15 000 people. My male pride has to take a back seat! I applaud this amazing group of ladies for their intuition and sensitivity, their planning and organisational skills and their pure determination to see the job done with excellence.”
