Helena Duk

Just Do It (JDI) Trust

Originally from Johannesburg, Helena finished her schooling and studied towards a BSc degree at the University of Pretoria. In 1993 she came to Cape Town for a couple of years, and then spent two years abroad, working and travelling. Helena returned to Cape Town in 1998 where she worked for BoE Asset Management. In 2001 she studied part time through UCT Graduate School of Business, and realised the value of education. It's during this time that she started thinking about charity work, and through her husband Graham, joined the JDI Foundation Trust, where she came into contact with SAEP. It was love at first sight, and Helena soon realised that this world class NPO is just what Cape Town and South Africa needed. As she believes that education is the best gift anyone can have, she was sold from day one, and has continued to support, help and work with SAEP where she can. Helena is married to Graham Duk, has given up her corporate life and is a full-time mother with three children, aged 6, 5 and 3; she currently serves as the Chairperson of SAEP in a voluntary capacity. Helena has raised money through her connections with the JDI Foundation Trust and other networks.

Ros Emanual

Secretary

Ros is a retired English teacher who was one of the original tutors in SAEP's Bridging Year Programme. Affectionately known as "Mama Ros," she inspirted and motivated many interns to improve all their English language skills. She has been an active and productive member of the Management Committee and a generous donor for more than five years.

Norton Tennille

Treasurer

Norton Tennille is the founder of SAEP and lives in Cape Town, South Africa. A former Rhodes Scholar, he practiced environmental and federal regulatory law in Washington, DC for 25 years before moving to Cape Town to establish SAEP in 1994. He is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Harvard University, Oxford University, and Harvard Law School. He was a founding Director of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham and served on the General Alumni Board of UNC: Chapel Hill. During his career as an environmental lawyer he received numerous awards from environmental organizations and headed the Balliol College Alumni Association in the United States.

Avuyile Koli

Past ADT Teach Senior Tutor

Avuyile Koli matriculated at Sinethemba High School in 2001 and joined SAEP as a Bridging Year Intern in 2003. Upon completion of his internship at SAEP at the end of 2003, Avuyile got a Learnership at CS holdings. He was attached at the City of Cape Town for the practical component of his training in 2005. After completing his learnership, he was employed as junior IT Technician at the City of Cape Town's smart city project. Avuyile was promoted to be a Technician, and later became a Junior IT Project Manager as well as an IT helpdesk Supervisor, responsible for more than 100 Sites and with more that 80 000 registered users.

In 2009, he left his managerial position at the Smart City Project to join SAEP's ADT teach project which was an SAEP and ADT /CSI initiative that teaches township school learners basic computer skills. Later, he got a permanent appointment with ADT to run the ADT teach project as the Senior IT trainer.

Avuyile has since been promoted to a higher position at ADT.

Sindiswa (Nobuntu) Tebeka

Principal of Zamukhanyo Educare, Chair of Safety Unity Creche Forum

Sindiswa Tebeka was born and raised in the Eastern Cape. After marrying, she changed her name to Nobuntu Mkhencele in 1982. In 1989, Nobuntu relocated to Cape Town. On her arrival, she started working on a project knitting jerseys for sale and at the same time working as a domestic worker in Mitchell's Plain. In 1994, she decided, after having been taking care of 6 children from the neighbourhood, to open her own crèche, which she called Zamukhanyo Educare Centre. Zamukhanyo has since grown from a two-roomed shack to a new building with five rooms serving around one hundred local children, thanks in part to the assistance of SAEP. Nobuntu was the chairperson of the Safety Unity Crèche Forum, a forum which is made up of 10 crèches working with SAEP in Philippi. Nobuntu says, "I was born to be a leader and a role model, and I will die caring and building a better future for disadvantaged children."

Shiela Yabo

Graduate of SAEP & UCT

Shiela holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree with majors in Anthropology and Gender studies from the University of Cape Town. She matriculated at Oscar Mpetha High School in 2005 and joined SAEP as a Bridging Year Intern in 2006. She enrolled at UCT in 2007 after improving her matric symbols, and graduated from UCT in December 2010. Today she works as an administrative assistant in the faculty liaison department at UCT. She joined the SAEP management committee in May 2011.

Zandile Mahlasela

Past Coordinator Early Childhood Development

Zandile was born and raised in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. Before coming to SAEP, she worked with a number of organisations such as Tabisa Training and Management Services, Khayelitsha Community Based Development Company, and Thubelisha Homes. Zandi was also a leader of the Khayelitsha Youth Development Council, an organisation that lobbies and advocates for youth interests in Khayelitsha township and beyond.

Zandile joined SAEP in July 2007 to October 2009, where she served as an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Coordinator, assisting principals of township ECD centres to reach their goals. Zandi was humbled by the impact the organisation has on its beneficiaries. Presently, Zandi is working for SUN development on Violence Prevention Through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) Project. In addition to her work, Zandi is currently studying towards a BTECH in Public Management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

Isabel Babenschneider

Past Manager Early Childhood Development

Isabel Babenschneider grew up near Stuttgart, Germany. While doing her Masters in Education, Business Economics and German Literature/Linguistics at the University of Stuttgart, her curiosity and interest in different cultures took her to the country of leprechauns where she spent a year on developing an Irish accent, working, and getting to know the beautiful green countryside and its people. After her time in Ireland, Isabel continued to study education and intercultural relations and developed a great interest in the African continent and development work. From July 2007 to March 2011, Isabel worked at SAEP in the position of ECD Manager, where she could use a combination of her education and economics background as well as her eagerness for mentoring and working with people. Today, Isabel works for the Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP) and is delighted to continue her support for SAEP through the Management Committee.

Khanyo Seyisi

Operational Coach / Facilitator at GEMS Business Unit of Metroplitan Health Group

Khanyo was born, raised and studied in Queenstown, Eastern Cape. He finished his teacher's Diploma in 1997 and moved to Cape Town in 1999. He furthered his education at CPUT formally known "Pentech". Studied engineering and graduated with Btec Quality (Quality Management Systems) in 2003. Also in 2003 he joined Sinethemba S.S. as a Mathematics teacher until December 2007 and was seconded to Khanya Project for 2 years until December 2009 before join Metropolitan.
During his time in Sinethemba High School, he met Norton and SAEP in 2004 and formed Mathematics, Science & Technology (MST) club.
For extra mural activities Khanyo had managed, coordinated and administered several club that SAEP was part of including: School computer lab, MST, Hiking & Environmental, Poetry, Drama, Cape Town Junior Mayor Council, Media school (school newsletter), Worker's World DIGGZ, debate.

Nomsa Shosha

Principal, Siyazakha Intermediate School

Nomsa Shosha is born in Cape Town and is the Principal of Siyazakha Intermediate School.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Education and a Higher Diploma in Education from the University of Fort Hare in Alice, Eastern Cape.

Nomsa is always keen to do some courses as part of her self development - also overseas: she obtained an Advanced Certificate (ACE) from the University of Western Cape (UWC) and participated in courses about Special education at the University of Oslo in Norway, Material Development in Leeds in England and Learnership & Skills Development at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

With her vast experience, the headmistress continues developing the school staff and the school environment of Siyazakha Intermediate School.

Mzimasi Hoho

Principal, Sophumelela Senior Secondary School

Mzimasi Hoho was born in June 1966 in the Eastern Cape Province, at Bowden location situated in Qoqodala village.

He passed his matric in 1985 at the Freemantle High in Lady Frere. After receiving his Secondary Teachers Diploma (STD) at Butterworth Training College under UNITRA examination board in 1988, Mzimasi started his teaching career at Sibonile Secondary School in Whittlesea in the Eastern Cape, as Maths and Science teacher.

In 1998 he settled over to the Western Cape and started teaching at Sophumelela Secondary School in Cape Town as Maths and Science teacher. The married father of two children was appointed at his school as the Head of Department of Maths and Science in 2000.

He was appointed as a Deputy Principal at Sophumelela Secondary School in 2006 and as the Acting Principal in 2007 - 2008. Finally in 2009 he assumed the position as the Principal at Sophumelela Secondary School permanently.

As a Principal, he led Sophumelela Secondary School to win a Premier Award for excellent grade 12 results in 2010.

Mzimasi is always keen to enlarge his knowledge, so he obtained an Advanced Certificate (ACE) in Mathematics Education with UNISA in 2004, a Financial Management certificate with University of South Africa (UNISA) in 2006, a Strategic Management certificate with the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 2007, a Bachelor of Education Honours Degree in Mathematics Education with the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in 2008 and a Masters degree in Public Management with Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in 2011.

Babini Fatyela

Principal, Zisukhanyo Senior Secondary School

Babini Fatyela was born in April 1967.

After receiving his Secondary Teachers Diploma at the Transvaal College of Education and his B.Sc in Chemistry at University of Cape Town (UCT), he started teaching in 1990 at the Masiyile Secondary School. Before joining Zisukhanyo Secondary School as a Deputy Principal in July 2005, Babini worked as a HOD at the Thembelihle Secondary School. In 2008 he started working as a DCES/WSE supervisor in the Head office of the Western Cape Education Departement (WCED).

In August 2008 he returned to Zisukhanyo Secondary School to work as the Acting Principal and since January 2010 as the Principal of Zisukhanyo Secondary School.

Babini holds several degrees: an Advanced Certificate (ACE) in School Management & Leadership with UCT and B.Tech in Educational Leadership & Management with Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Currently he is studying towards to receive his Honours in Public Administration at the University of Stellenbosch.

The married father of two children likes to travel.

Phelisa Kanzi

Principal of Sakhingomso Educare Centre

Phelisa is the principal of Sakhingomso Educare Centre which is situated in Philippi. Sakhingomso Educare Centre has been operating as a pre-school since 2005. Sakhingomso began work with SAEP in 2008 when Phelisa heard from others in the community about SAEP's ECD Programme.

Phelisa moved to Cape Town from the Eastern Cape in 2001. She was on the street committee and there were many reported cases the rape of children in the community and other abuses. She saw children playing outside and they had no food and no water After her parents passed away she was left to care for her brothers and sisters and she decided that is was imperative for the children in the community to have somewhere safe to play and learn. The other parents in the community supported this.

Phelisa is a strong and determined woman and has proven to be a great leader.