Wendy Kumalo
Wendy “Kumar” Kumalo was born in Khanya Village just outside Pietermaritzburg, known as Cedara, an area known for its agriculture.
In 2002, the whole family relocated to Mpophomeni, a township near Howick, where she attended Mpophomeni High School.
Life was not easy for her and her family. Wendy’s mom raised her and her two younger siblings with the money she managed to get from temporary jobs. Through all the difficult times her mom taught her and her family to believe in Jehovah, God and to live with what they had.
Seeing the silence and fear of people around her community to talk about HIV & AIDS and issues concerning gender violence, she decided to do more to break the silence and be the voice of the voiceless. After matriculating in 2006, she studied journalism at Varsity College in Pietermaritzburg from 2007 to 2008.
During that time, she worked as a general reporter for Umlilo News a community newspaper. Wendy was excited about writing and breaking the silence with the stories she covered. But things were not easy as she was receiving threats from community members as she was covering stories they didn’t want to talk about.
However, that did not get her down. She worked for the Echo Newspaper then Edendale Eyethu, falling in love with covering news around her community tackling gender violence, HIV & AIDS and municipality issues.
She started working as a Community Journalist for CMT in January 2009, excited about being able to fulfill her dream of being a voice for the voiceless in a broader way, covering stories from all over KwaZulu-Natal.
Wendy gets her inspiration from telling stories about ordinary people, who, through courage, overcome their challenges. She believes that as journalists we have “Great power, which comes with great responsibility.”
She feels strongly about gender violence and HIV related issues, and sees Siyayinqoba as a platform to break the silence in our communities. “If you and I don’t talk about it, then the person next to you won’t either”.
Being with Siyayinqoba for almost two years has taught Wendy a lot regarding HIV & AIDS treatment literacy and camera work, with such experience she wishes to do more.
