Nwabisa Siyamthanda Zantsi

What does your company do?

At Fulfill the Dream Academy we believe that young people are at the heart of solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. That is why we are dedicated to strengthening systems in communities to achieve sustainable outcomes in Health, Education, Youth Empowerment and Community-Based Adaptation Programme. Our Health Programmes contain community-based initiatives, eg. prevention of Gender Based Violence, Mental health awareness, and Reproductive health education, empowering individuals to lead healthier lives. Our Education Programme; We believe education is a powerful tool for change. Our after-school programme provide academic support and mentorship to children and youth, helping them excel academically and realize their potential. Our Youth Mentoring Program; We offer an integrated learning and vocational model. Annually we recruit and train 200 participants. Young people participate in a holistic personal and professional development and work readiness programme. On successful completion of the full programme, participants are assisted to apply for jobs or assisted in registering small businesses. The Community-Based Adaptation Program; We prioritise empowering women who disproportionately bear the impacts of climate change, relying heavily on endangered natural resources for their livelihoods. Our initiative aims to enhance women’s resilience to climate-related disasters by facilitating community-based adaptation efforts. Through this program, we work to bolster women’s capacity to cope effectively with the challenges posed by climate change, recognizing their crucial roles as stewards of natural resources and caretakers of families.

What is your biggest success?

My greatest achievement is to be selected as a Tekano Health Equity Fellow in SA 2022. I then became a Global Atlantic Institute Fellow as a Health equity fellow. In August 2023 I was awarded a grant by Atlantic Institute to implement an adaptation program for women in the Western Cape after the heavy floods. I am currently leading a team of 3 researchers from Southeast Asia. We aim to develop a model that will give families & community health care workers with the skills to take care of patients who live with mental illnesses. This project is funded by Atlantic Institute.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

Retaining qualified staff; it is a hurdle within the organisation because you will train them, and they will find greener pastures. You will have to find new staff immediately.