Meet the
Themba Team
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Project Managers
- Thabisa Mdolomba – Agapé
- Elizabeth Solomons – Graceland
- Lindy Officer – Mama Themba
- Patrick Lewis – School of Hope
- Sakhumzi Klaas – Themba Connect
- Marla van der Merwe – Themba Training
- Michsaan Willemse – Thembani
Service Centre Staff
- Monica Folscher – Managing Director
- Katie Visser – Operations/Human Resource Manager
- Unathi Mabulu – HR Officer
- Paula Delport – Payroll & HR Coordinator
- Yolanda Odendaal – Bookkeeper
- Goretti van Wieringen – Financial Manager
Marketing and Fundraising Team
- Amanda Nortje – Marketing & Fundraising Manager
- Danelle Wilkinson – Graphic Design and Digital Marketing Coordinator
- Sophie Olivier – Grant Writing Consultant
- Morgan Domijan – Campaign Coordinator
- Kate Christie – Major Gift Fundraiser
SouthAfrica
Board of Directors
A few people of integrity can go a long way.
Anthony Geard
Anthony Geard serves as the Chair on the board of the Thembalitsha Foundation. He has also been involved in the expansion of services to Adelaide in the Eastern Cape. He studied at the University of Cape Town, completing a Bachelor of Business Science (Honours) degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting. Anthony subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He is also a CFA charter holder. He has worked at Investec Securities as an investment analyst since 1999 in Johannesburg, London and Cape Town. Anthony now lives in Somerset West with his wife and two children and has been involved with Thembalitsha since 2010.
Monica Folscher
Monica has steered Thembalitsha into calm waters over the past eight years, giving strategic guidance and putting systems in place to catch up with the growth of the foundation. She has over 25 years of experience in NGO management and has academic qualifications in Communications, Political Science, and Journalism, with a Masters Degree in Psychology. With extensive experience in strategic planning & implementation, mentorship, community intervention systems and psycho-social support to vulnerable groups, she has received awards from Rapport, Business Against Crime and the Rotary Vocational Service Award.
Frank Christie
Frank Christie, founded Thembalitsha Foundation in 1997 has actively served the organisation on the board, he has held the role of Chairman, Marketing Director and is currently the Vice Chairperson. Frank is the owner of Lucidity Consultancy. He’s a visionary, coach and champion of the voiceless, widowed and orphaned. Frank studied Organizational Leadership and Development.
Luyanda Ndlela
Luyanda is a researcher who is passionate about people and science. Her community engagement began through the youth in church, which is now one of her most enriching life experiences. She completed her undergraduate and Masters degrees at the University of KwaZulu Natal and her PhD in Zoology at Stellenbosch University. She has recently been selected as one of the JCI Ten outstanding young persons for 2020 in South Africa.
Alison Carvalheiro
Alison Carvalheiro has acted as treasurer for various charitable organisations and now serves as treasurer and secretary to the board of Thembalitsha Foundation. She is a qualified chartered accountant who has worked in financial institutions and lectured at the University of Witwatersrand.
Gundo Maswime
Gundo is a graduate Civil Engineer and public policy specialist with 12 years of experience in the public sector. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town where he teaches part-time. He is passionate about maths education and community development.
Mark Volmink
Mark comes to the Foundation with a range of skills and extensive leadership and management experience acquired over a 20 year period, cross-cutting private, government and civil society sectors. He has a passion for Development and assisting those who experience exclusion, hunger or are trapped by similar circumstances associated with poverty. Mark obtained his Master’s degree in Development Studies at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and is currently pursuing his PhD at the Institute for Social Development (UWC). He is married with 3 children and is a sport loving individual, who enjoys road running and playing Squash.
