As you may have heard, Nomakuze Solwande, Director of WOMANKIND partner Masonwabisane in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, died last week from a reaction to medication she was erroneously given to treat her diabetes.
Nomakuze founded the Masonwabisane Women's Support Centre in 1997 with support from Masimanyane and WOMANKIND has been funding the small organisation since 2001. Masonwabisane provides counselling, support and income generating schemes for women and children survivors of abuse and is also active in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention in local communities and schools.
Alsongside an incredibly strong sense of commitment to the communities and individuals that Masonwabisane served, Nomakuze had a phenomenal understanding of the complexity of the issues surrounding - and resulting in - the high levels of sexual violence, poverty and HIV/AIDS in Butterworth. In February 2006, Nomakuze joined WOMANKIND and six other partners at CSW in New York to present at the side event 'Women's Participation in Development: Bringing the Local to Global' and was invited to sit on the closing UN panel on violence against women. I spoke to her shortly after and she said...'You (WOMANKIND) have done the best thing in my life. To expose me, thank you very much.'
Nomakuze with WOMANKIND staff and partners at the UN canteen in February 2006
WOMANKIND knew Nomakuze well and will miss her sense of humour and total commitment to her organisation and community. Nomakuze was in her early 40's and leaves a husband and four children.
To read our tribute to Nomakuze, click here.
