Maria Nomathemba Dlomo is a 27-year-old community psychologist and founder of the Isipho Esihle Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to youth empowerment, education, and social upliftment in Clermont township, Durban. Motivated by a deep concern over school dropout rates, teenage pregnancy, and youth unemployment, Maria mobilized a team of five young community members to help her tackle these challenges head-on.
Registered in 2022 with the Department of Social Development, her foundation focuses on improving access to education and creating sustainable solutions to poverty and mental health challenges. Through food parcel distributions aligned with SDG 2: Zero Hunger, the foundation addresses food insecurity among vulnerable families. Their menstrual health project provides sanitary pads to girls in need, ensuring that monthly periods never become a barrier to school attendance.
Maria also leads mental health awareness campaigns in orphanages and schools, educating young people on psychological well-being and breaking the stigma around mental illness. As a volunteer at the Department of Community Safety and Liaison, she works as a GBV activist—offering psychological support to survivors and mobilizing the community to take a stand against gender-based violence.
Currently part of a National Youth Service and NYDA mentorship program, Maria is being trained in sustainable nonprofit leadership. Her vision is clear: a society free of hunger, poverty, and abuse—where every child in townships and rural areas has access to education, mentorship, and hope.
Maria Dlomo is more than a community leader—she is a catalyst for change.
