Get to Know Axium: From Facilitator to Special projects coach

When Sekiwe Maqeba joined Axium in 2014, she came with a clear sense of purpose. Having grown up in a rural community, she understood from the inside what many learners were up against: not just limited resources, but the deeper challenges of  growing up without people who believed in your potential.

She started as a facilitator, working directly in schools. Her approach was built on storytelling, games, and a consistent, encouraging presence that helped children feel safe enough to participate, make mistakes, and try again. "I joined Axium because of the work they were doing with children and young people in rural communities," she says. Today, she is a Special Projects Senior Coach, focusing on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy training and curriculum, alongside many other responsibilities.

Over the years, Sekiwe's role has grown well beyond the classroom. She has taken on leadership responsibilities, built partnerships, mentored young people, and contributed to programs that have extended Axium's reach across the region. "Axium has helped me realise leadership potential that I did not always see in myself," she reflects. "Through these different programs, I have been able to reach and support more children than I ever imagined."

The work is not without its difficulties.

Rural communities come with real logistical challenges: long distances, stretched resources, and infrastructure that does not always keep up with the need. But for Sekiwe, those challenges have never shifted the focus. "The focus is always on the child and creating opportunities for them to thrive."

What keeps the work meaningful is what she witnesses in young people when the conditions are right. "I see young people becoming leaders, believing in themselves, and taking steps towards a better future." These moments, a learner finding their confidence, a young person daring to imagine a different future for themselves, are what she points to when asked why this work matters.

Sekiwe is also deliberate about what her own story represents. Coming from a rural community and growing into a leader within one is, in itself, a statement. Talent, intelligence, and leadership are not concentrated in cities or in certain kinds of schools.

They exist everywhere. What young people in rural communities often need most is not charity but someone who sees them clearly, believes in them consistently, and helps create the conditions for them to grow.

Looking ahead, Sekiwe's focus is on doing more of that work: deepening partnerships, expanding reach, and continuing to grow as a leader herself.