Nkhumeni (Khume) Ramulifho
2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: Youth LeadershipSouth Africa
Nkhumeni (Khume) Ramulifho's primary focus is to ensure that young people are given access to opportunities so they can fulfill their individual talents and gain meaningful skills. He completed higher education at Vaal University of Technology, where he studied human resources management. He then continued his studies further at University of Johannesburg, University of South Australia and Wits University. Khume has been a member of Democratic Alliance, the 2nd largest political party in South Africa, for 24 years, where he has served as student activist, youth leader and regional chairperson, and took part in many leadership-development programs locally and internationally.
Khume led the Democratic Alliance Youth at regional, provincial and national levels between 2001 and 2010. He worked for the South African Police as a personnel officer and later joined Holcim Pty Ltd as assistant HR Manager. In 2006, he decided to focus on politics full-time. Khume served as Councilor in the City of Johannesburg from 2006 to 2009. After the 2009 General and Provincial Elections, he was elected to serve in Gauteng Provincial Legislature on the Education Portfolio Committee as Democratic Alliance Shadow MEC for Education.
IVLP Impact Award Project: Youth Leadership
This project trained 262 participants from 5 schools in underserved areas to become involved in community elections and civic engagement. The youth were trained to advocate for the importance of holding elected officials accountable and demanding transparency from them. Barriers that prevent young people from actively participating in electoral processes were identified. Messages were shared on traditional news and social media to promote the messages of transparency and engagement.
IVLP Exchange Experience
Khume participated in the IVLP Transparency and Accountability in Government, organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education, in partnership with Vermont Council on World Affairs, International Institute of Wisconsin, Colorado Springs World Affairs Council, Cleveland Council on World Affairs, and International Institute of Wisconsin.
U.S. Communities Visited Virtually
Colorado Springs, CO; Washington, DC; Cleveland, OH; Madison, WI; Milwaukee, WI; Burlington, VT