Over the past six years, the Nceduluntu Support Group has become a force for positive change in Ndevana, a village in Qonce characterised by high levels of unemployment
In a community where substance abuse is also a problem, Nceduluntu’s founder, Vumile Mntwapi, has been working resolutely to improve the lives of vulnerable residents through practical support and social programmes.
From providing school shoes and Christmas clothes for children in need to helping families secure housing and leading community awareness campaigns, the organisation is making a real difference in the area.
Mntwapi, 42, founded the support group in 2018, when there was a spike in teenage pregnancies, HIV/Aids, substance abuse and other social ills in the area.
“Our focus is mainly on youngsters as they are the ones who need guidance the most, because you will find that most of them come from homes where they were exposed to violence and substance abuse,” he said.
Working with 10 carers and six board members, the team conducts door-to-door visits, looking to identify vulnerable children in the community.
“After establishing the beneficiaries, we then do school visits where we have our dialogues.”
The initiative is supported by the Eastern Cape social development department and Buffalo City Metro, which provides grant-in-aid funding.
“We also receive donations from Berlin Spar and Pick n Pay supermarkets, who assist us with groceries for homes where no-one is able to provide, especially in the child-headed homes.
“The support group has also helped families that lost everything due to fires and other circumstances out of their control,” Mntwapi said.
Since its establishment, Nceduluntu has helped more than 1,000 beneficiaries — children and young adults aged between seven and 29 — through various programmes.
These include community conversations, awareness campaigns and social behavioural change initiatives such as Zazi (know yourself) for females between the ages of 14 and 24, You Only Live Once (Yolo) for youngsters between the ages of 15 and 29, and Chommy for boys and girls aged between seven and 13.
Mbulelo Nkwali, who nominated Vumile Mntwapi for a Daily Dispatch Local Heroes award, describes him as a selfless and dedicated community leader who is always willing to help those in need.
“Mr Mntwapi and his organisation, Nceduluntu Support Group, have made a real difference in the Ndevana community,” Nkwali said.
He said the organisation had donated school shoes to children from struggling families, provided Christmas clothing for needy children, and helped secure an RDP house for a man living in a dilapidated shack in Masijonga Extension.
The support group also arranged temporary shelter for a woman from Mpolweni Extension who was battling cervical cancer.
Nkwali said Nceduluntu had also created programmes aimed at uplifting and educating the community.
In 2024, it hosted its first Women’s Empowerment Day, featuring influencer Tabisa Mrwebi as the guest speaker, and organised a memorial lecture in honour of its late chair, Michael Mfihlo, with Sanelisiwe Ntsasela delivering the keynote address.
The Nceduluntu Support Group also runs community dialogues, awareness campaigns and social behaviour change programmes.
Nkwali said it partnered with other groups last year to support boys attending initiation schools in Buffalo City Metro.
“Mr Mntwapi is making a huge difference ... If we had more people like him, our country would be a much better place,” he said.
Alizwa Mandara, 22, who joined the Yolo programme while she was still a pupil in 2022, said it helped her gain confidence.
“I learnt how to better care for myself, choose friends wisely to make healthier life choices, and always strive to improve myself,” Mandara said.
“I wish the team gets enough support to continue teaching the youth that they only live once and have to make conscious decisions at all times.”
Daily Dispatch
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