Change the world

23/04/2026

Mandela University’s Engagement Office recently convened a collaborative planning session to initiate a partnership with Ma Cynthia Mpati, an elder knowledge holder from rural eHlanzeni, near Umkomaas, KwaZulu-Natal.

 

From a life in exile and rooted in a lifetime of work in education, community development and indigenous knowledge practices, Ma Cynthia brings a depth of lived experience that continues to shape intergenerational learning and storytelling.

The meeting brought together key collaborators, including Silombethe (creative direction), UME Visuals (media and storytelling), the Faculty of Education and the Engagement Office.

This collaboration will centre on the development of a living archive and the launch of Out of Wonderland, ensuring that Ma Cynthia’s voice, context and knowledge remain at the heart of the work.

Out of Wonderland will be published by Mandela University Press under the literature InKwazi imprint.

This initiative reflects a collective commitment to working with and alongside rural communities in ways that honour place, knowledge and relational forms of engagement, while advancing the University’s vision for transformative and humanising praxis.

Contact information
Ms Elma de Koker
Internal Communication Practitioner
Tel: 041-504 2160
elma.dekoker@mandela.ac.za