Mignon Hardie
Not-For-Profit Managing Director
Mignon loves learning, experimenting and innovating in the social impact space. She is passionate about finding ways to help grow a more equitable, just and tolerant society. Mignon is compassionate, collaborative and democratic, and wants to ensure that all people have the opportunity to grow and reach their potential.
Ryan Geel
For-Profit Managing Director
Ryan is a communicator and he approaches everything he touches in a thorough and passionate way. He is dependable and has sound judgement with a practical and logical approach to all of his endeavors in life. Ryan has a natural shining outlook to everything in life.
Leoni Vaughn
Health4Life Manager
Leoni is by definition passionate about growth. Whether it is personal or spiritual, she believes one can never stop growing. We all are amazing individuals, our minds and hearts have no limitations except the ones we ourselves impose. This belief, along with her faith, is the main driving force in her quest to help.
Anwar Aricum
Health4Life Counsellor
Anwar's daily greeting is 'honey I'm home' as he welcomes everyone with his happy and warm smile. He loves the universe, which he believes doesn't give what you ask for with your thoughts, but rather gives you what you demand with your actions. He believes that your destiny is bound with the destinies of others.
His motto is "live for today".
Nkosana Mkhize
Health4Life Counsellor
Nkosana, originally from Soweto, is a type of person that likes simplicity. He is humble, full of enthusiasm and humour. He draws his inspiration from God's unconditional love and he believes that life is precious.
Laaiqah Brown
Health4Life Counsellor
Laaiqah is an independent person with a strong work ethic. She loves what she is doing and she is always on the lookout for the next person to help. She is honest and unapologetic about it! She enjoys music and food, but most of all spending time with her children.
Denecia Buys
Health4Life Counsellor
Denecia is someone who loves wholeheartedly. She believes in honesty and integrity. Her craziness is what adds to the world in a very positive way. She is driven by teaching, motivating others and being surrounded by young people.
Felicia Jantjies
Health4Life Counsellor
Felicia is a woman of few words but is a great listener. Her caring personality and keen sense of humour is one of her many qualitites. She always radiates warmth and understanding in everything she does.
Sindiswa Titi
Health4Life Counsellor
Sindiswa describes herself as shy, but talkative, once she warms up to people. With a background in community work, Sindiswa loves working with small children. Not an overly sensitive person, she believes that one can always learn new things about yourself if you are open to positive feedback from others.
Najma Fakier
Wellness Officer
Najma is fun-loving, funny and caring. She says she has a wicked sense of humour and is able to laugh at her own jokes. Najma is passionate about people and believes that everyone deserves a second chance. She is rewarded by seeing people overcome their obstacles. To relax, she loves reading and watching horror movies.
Kaylin Van Nierkerk
Welfare Counsellor
Kaylin describes herself as a people's person. She especially loves working with children and youth, holding a passion to see families thrive. She endeavours to support her client's success. Kaylin loves chocolate, believing she wouldn't survive a day without it. She says 'a chocolate a day keeps her stress levels at bay.'
Marlene Wilson
Therapist Consultant
Marlene’s caring spirit and expert listening ability mixed with no frills straight talk, heaps of pizazz and a wicked sense of humour has created a reputation that we all love. When you have the privilege of meeting up with Marlene, you are going to learn all about “The Finger” – what it does and where it belongs!
Noluthando Kwayimani
Income Generating Officer
Nolly is a sweet and crazy young girl, she is always laughing and making fun of everything. She is commited to finding ways to challenge her weaknesses. Her motto is to work hard to not get the same feedback twice.
Alexis Brown
Programme Manager: Family Affairs
Alexis believes we are all on a soul journey together, and her raison d'etre is to love and accept people exactly as they show up. Offering this acceptance of others allows her to enjoy watching them transform into the truest version of themselves. She has a heart for working in the community and engaging across different cultures.
A bubbly personality, she loves nature, being outdoors and surfing, and spending quality time with her family. To relax she enjoys time to read, and is invested in developing her spiritual beliefs.
Nicole Joubert
Family Affairs Facilitator
Nicole holds the belief that one’s journey is predestined before one is born. She lives by the quote “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure” and believes that everyone has the potential to excel in anything they choose to do. Her quest is to help people realise that they are great no matter their circumstances. Nicole believes that if we all live our true, light and authentic version of ourselves, we will automatically give other people permission to do the same.
She also loves spending time dancing and singing with her son, reading and watching series.
Desiree du Preez
Family Affairs Therapist
Desiree's journey through life has been one of humility, never boasting about her accomplishments. She maintains that it is important to keep the right perspective and she strives to install this in her children.
It is her passion and courage that makes her such a valuable resource for her family and people around her. She finds laughter, fun and much joy in everything. Life for her is a playground.
Zinziswa Nogavu
Family Affairs Facilitator
Zinziswa is dedicated to community service and is passionate about child and youth development, striving to bring out the best in people. Persistence and resilience is a definition of her life story, whilst compassion, humanity, love and happiness are values she holds close to her heart. Zinziswa is all about positive impact and positive vibes and whilst she says she’s not a good dancer, she loves dancing and good music.
Moesfieqah van der Schyff
Job Search Counsellor
Moesfieqah is a fun-loving, compassionate individual. She has a strong drive for success and is extremely goal orientated. She has a passion for seeing people reach their full potential and goals regardless of their circumstances or the challenges they may face. Moesfieqah is an undercover bookworm who lives for rainy days, a good book and endless amounts of coffee. She loves all things nature and is always up for a good laugh. The quote she lives her life by is inspired by Nelson Mandela: "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
Brian Matola
Programme Manager: Leaders' Quest
Brian Matola is a charismatic personality who has a long history with Life Choices having originally been part of the Life Choices Peer Education course whilst in high school (2006). He feels privileged to be a coach to the youth on Leaders' Quest and to be able to inspire the learners with his captivating ability to engage and interact with them at a real level. His story telling is legendary and awakens new ways of thinking in the youth he works with.
Queen Gum
Leaders' Quest Coach
Queen is a LOL kind of girl. She laughs at the most serious matters, she does this to let herself and everyone know that everything is going to be alright! She believes that everything happens for a reason. You can lock her up with a "Chinese" and she will still find a way to understand the person because she believes in the human race and the power of love.
Sarah Dowling
Leaders' Quest Coach
Fairness, inclusivity and transparency are Sarah's guiding principles in life. With a systems perspective on life, she believes that for the whole system to work effectively, all parts need to work in harmony. Using her analytical mind, she enjoys working toward creating optimal outcomes. Sarah works on being aware of her wholeness and is excited about being a catalyst to support adolescents to discover their undiscovered value.
To relax, Sarah loves being in nature, exploring new places, connecting with family and friends, baking, and curling up with a good book or series.
Whitney Hendricks
Leaders' Quest Coach
Whitney likes to strike a balance between being around people and being alone. She likes to think of herself as crazy, she often thinks deeply about the things she sees around her and creates her own stories. It is just her own silly way of entertaining herself and being creative. Whitney believes that everyone creates their own journey in life.
Unathi Maqhula
Leaders' Quest Coach
Unathi is an enthusiastic person who believes anything is possible. “I am who I am because of who I have been. My life purpose is to serve, love and heal.” She has always believed that if you set your mind to something, you can hold it in your hands; and that your thoughts can become reality. Own your superpower and you will have powers to change the world. Unathi believes that if you want to help someone to change their life, help them change their mindset.
Ntsikelelo Lingani
Leaders' Quest Coach
Ntsikelelo describes himself as a mirror - what you see is what you will get. He sees himself as a realist and enjoys working in challenging environments that take him out of his comfort zone, where he believes growth comes from. He believes life is shaped by the mistakes we make and learn from. When Ntsikelelo is not working with youth, he enjoys reading and trying new recipes.
Adean Meyers
Leaders' Quest Coach
Adean sees himself as an enthusiastic and energetic person with a big sense of humour. His most noticeable traits would be that he loves having fun and always has a smile on his face. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and chilling with friends. His life motto is 'no matter what I do, I incorporate a fun element into it because doing things with a smile is way better than doing them with a frown'.
Bron Villet
Alumni Coach and Communications
Bron is a natural anthropologist, curious about people and cultures. She loves to travel, to connect and explore, recording her interactions through her lens. She has a deep empathy and an ability to get people to open up and share their stories. She is positive, energetic and enthusiastic and when not working you will find her on the mountain and in nature. Bron is excited to be working with youth who, she believes, are the future of an equal South Africa.
Godwin Dzvapatsra
Head of Curriculum and Learning
Godwin is experienced in the vocational education and training arena. His philosophy is grounded in lifelong learning. In the wake of skills shortage, he believes in a responsive curriculum in which all key players participate. In his spare time, Godwin enjoys walking, hiking and watching soccer.
Candice Amon
Life Choices Academy Facilitator
Candice is an independent individual who is willing unravel potential in each every person she encounters in her life. Candice is very outspoken and draws strength from her achievements in life. She believes to GROW means to CHANGE, if you haven't been challenged you haven't GROWN.Enjoys seeing friends and family happy around her.
Jason Wandrag
Coding Lecturer
Jason Wandrag is an unwavering optimist who believes in the future. With a heart as big as his brain, he approaches students and problems with diligence and compassion. When not working, Jason enjoys playing football, cooking, gardening and being in nature.
Ehrin Manuel
Placement Partnership Officer
Growing up in the hills of Durban and the dusty streets of the Cape Flats have given Ehrin a blended outlook on life. A quote from Star Trek that has served as his moral compass: "The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few."
Ehrin has a happy disposition and claims he is borderline eccentric, diligent and curious and uses these characteristics to change people's lives one smile at a time. He has a teachable spirit and a macabre sense of humour. In his spare time, Ehrin has a passion for anime, video games and anything Marvel-related.
Maxine Oliver
Placement Partnership Officer
Maxine Oliver is an organised and determined individual investing in personal growth and development. She enjoys reading and expanding her knowledge, as well as inspiring others to reach their potential. Often described as dynamite in a small package she believes that to get anywhere in life, standing still is not an option.
She loves networking and, to relax, Max enjoys time on her own, walking on the beach, quality time with her family and pets as well as taking drives whilst listening to good music.
Christopher Okwuraiwe
Placement Partnership Officer
One of Christopher’s favourite life quotes is “expect not and disappoint not” but on a lighter note some of the things Chris enjoys is listening to music, especially old school R&B and African Highlife. He relaxes when reading short stories, watching sports and learning about nature conservation efforts.
Joyce Umetor
M&E Officer
Joyce Umetor has a postgraduate degree in M&E from Stellenbosch University and is originally from Nigeria. She is a budding evaluator and a key part of our M&E team. Music and cooking are her other passions and she says 'you will always find me in the kitchen cooking traditional African dishes listening to my favorite music, Gospel.'
Rolly Lufuluabo
M&E Officer
Husband and father, Rolly, believes in God, the perfect symbol of love. He sees himself as a work in progress. Though he embraces his flaws with humility and kindness, he believes that adding toughness to that will lead him to be a better version of himself. His spare time is mainly dedicated to his family. He is nostalgic of ancient architecture and philosophers.
Innocent Masayira
Senior Sustainability Officer
Inno is an unfinished symphony. One distinctive characteristic of Innocent is that he is always in action. His mind is always wondering and his body is always in motion. Inno is daring, he has an interesting outlook to life, he questions and is not afraid to be questioned. For him, the sky is the limit.
Apoline Tchiku
Junior Fundraiser
Apoline is an observer who takes time to analyse things before coming to a conclusion. A former Life Choices beneficiary who is very passionate about seeing development and changes. Education and health is something that iI hold very close to my heart. I am very vocal about my feelings and opinions and believe in integrity.
Matt Fisher
New Ventures Studio Manager
Matt is a proudly South African SuperFan, an explorer of the imagination and front-line action man. A thought provoker and risk taker with a strong analytical mind not afraid to ask the BIG questions. Supporter of the underdog. Loyal to the best. A graduate. A hustler. An aspiring wealth creator and eternal team player.
Tarran Human
Nurturer Office Manager
Tarran describes herself as a soft-hearted perfectionist who lives off the principles of faith, hope and love. A firm believer in all things positive, Tarran accepts as true that a positive mind leads to a positive life. She believes that we are in control of our own destiny as we write our own story.
Adele Cormac
Operations Manager
Adele is a strong, independent and open-minded individual with a good work ethic. She has a passion for acquiring and sharing knowledge in the pursuit of improving our world. A “mama-bear,” who is fiercely protective of those she loves and defender of those she feels people are taking advantage of. Adele has a positive and sunny outlook on life and believes you can achieve anything you set your mind to. The saying by Bob Proctor epitomises this: “The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves.".
Ian Fife
Finance Administrator
Ian embraces life through his friendly demeanour, taking stress in his stride. Through his own experience, a key purpose of Ian's is to educate men about breast and prostate cancer, helping them to openly speak about their experiences. At home, Ian is happiest in the kitchen. He also loves gardening and spending time with his grandson.
Linda Daniels
Marketing and Communications Officer
Linda is positive, self-motivated and curious. She enjoys learning something new, long walks and conversation. Family and friendship is important to her and she draws inspiration from people who drive positive change in the world.
Sadé Hickman
Graphic Designer
Sadé is a multi-skilled creative with experience in various creative fields. Born in the (formerly) small town of Hermanus, she holds a Degree in Art Direction as well as a few awards – one of which is a prestigious Silver Loerie, won in her second year of university. She's incredibly passionate about art, design and everything in between – dabbling in both digital and traditional mediums since childhood, she is constantly learning and expanding her skill set as the field does.
Milly Vaughan
Administrator
Milly is a passionate, humble woman who believes that hard work will get you to where you want to go. She has used this mantra to achieve her personal goals in life and has grown out of depression into a strong, motivated woman. She believes that one’s circumstances do not define one’s life. Outside of work, Milly loves spending time with her family and friends.
Sharleen Hendricks
Office Administrator
Sharleen shows up as an authentic, honest and open woman. She believes we are all born with the same good in us, and so she looks for the best in everyone. Sharleen is hardworking and is not afraid to face life's challenges. To de-stress she enjoys baking and reading offers her a quiet place for quiet time.
Chantal Amon
Office Assistant
Chantal is a single mom whose hobbies include swimming and cooking. What makes her happy is spending Sundays relaxing with her family.
Shayner Oliver
Office Assistant
Shayner describes herself as happy, joyful and hardworking. To de-stress and relax she enjoys swimming and spending time with her little daughter who makes her heart smile.
Shaun Jeffries
Office Assistant
Shaun enjoys music (opera) and dancing. He has a crazy sense of humour and loves making people smile. He is passionate about Afrikaans and other languages and has a deep desire to help others. He was once inspired by a lady who taught him that the world needs ‘us’, and not just ‘you.’ He believes that ‘together we can effect change.’
Saarah Yassiem-Aziz
HR Consultant
Saarah loves the diversity of working with different kinds of people. She strives to assist at least one person every day, helping them with their needs. She believes that knowledge should be shared generously. Saarah's downtime finds her reading, experimenting in the kitchen, hiking with her family taking in all the little things nature has to offer. She values the lessons of forgiveness she experiences from her young daughter.
Mxolisi Mtwesi
Driver
Mxolisi loves the youth and is a proud father to his family of 7 children. He serves the Life Choices community programmes as a driver and loves being part of the change.
Anele Mbuku
Driver
Anele is a friendly person. He likes people and especially children. Transporting the Life Choices staff to their schools, and spending time with the youth is what makes Anele happy in his work. Outside of work, Anele loves watching soccer, supporting Kaiser Chiefs and is very involved with his church community over the weekends.
Charl James
Maintenance
Charl is an outgoing, happy man who is very family orientated. He feels his purpose is to care for his family, and strives to keep life light and fun at home. When not working, Charl enjoys the outdoors and hiking in nature. He is sport mad, and is especially crazy about soccer.
Noeline Tredoux
LC Studio Senior Web Developer
Noeline has gained immeasurable knowledge in the tech field, having worked in the fast-changing world of web development for almost 20 years. When she is not working, she adventures into far-flung places on her BMW GS motorbike with her trusted Canon. Noeline is passionate about influencing and developing the next generation.
Darron Gelderbloem
LC Studio Project Manager
Nerding the time management skills of Doctor Strange, the methodologies of Spock and the OCD of Sheldon Cooper, Darron has the potential to have a blast at his dinner for one. The type of "blast" is yet TBC. As stressful as this headspace trinity may seem, it’s been the key to his progression within the tech space and in life. He believes that everyone should aspire to master the art of writing to unlock their potential and understand their heart. For downtime you will find Darron at the piano arranging vocal harmonies or behind the microphone recording. His heart song... "Keep Moving Forward" - Walt Disney.
Nashville James
LC Studio Team Lead
Nashville is a beneficiary of the Life Choices Academy and is now a Team Leader at the LC Studio. He is excited to share his skills and expertise with the next generation of interns in the web dev team. Nash is a hard worker, committed to his line of work and is open to the possibilities emerging in the coding world. He's always up for a challenge and ready to seek solutions to problems. In addition to his love of the world of IT, Nash finds joy in DJing and producing music.
Brittney Bowers
LC Studio Team Lead
Brittney sees herself as an open minded individual, wanting to understand other people and how they show up. She has an easy way with people, helping them to shine. Joining Life Choices has given her purpose for her future. Her dream is to own a web design business one day. To de-stress, Brittney immerses herself in a book or spends time with people she values.
Chad Bosch
LC Studio Team Lead
Chad is intrigued by technology and is excited about how the future will look, with all the technological changes coming our way. He is strongly creativity and enjoys innovation, calling himself a dreamer who believes in living an honest life. To relax Chad gets involved in gaming and anime.
Oslin Johnson
LC Studio Assistant Team Lead
Oslin claims to be a resilient person, with an aptitude for learning which he believes is what bought him into the coding space. He is excited to pay his knowledge forward and to be able to influence change in more than just a technical manner. Oslin enjoys 'time out' by watching Japanese anime and reading Manga comics and swimming.
Shane Kolkoto
LC Studio Assistant Team Lead
Shane is excited to share his skills and expertise with the next generation of interns in the LC Studio web apps team. He is a hard worker, always ready to tackle new challenges in the world of code. “Coding is not a job for me, it is my passion where I strive for a day with no errors.” Shane loves music, so when he’s not coding, he is either at the piano, his guitar or drums. He also enjoys anime and spending time with his family.
Nonkululeko Matunjana
Admin Intern
Nonkululeko is the mother of a baby boy. She loves an environment where she can learn from others and endeavours to spread positive energy and good vibes. She looks to learn something new in every situation. Nonkululeko loves fashion and fashion TV. When she has time she takes all her clothes out of her wardrobe and plays “dress-up.”
Thulisile Zwelonke
Admin Intern
Thuli believes in loyalty, honesty and respect. She feels that being faithful in the small things counts in her life and the lives of others. She cares about how other people feel. Thuli says she is both an introvert and extrovert depending on the environment she is in. During her down-time, Thuli likes to listen to music.
Leigh Oktober
Admin Intern
Leigh has a bright and bubbly personality, independent, nurturing, and supportive in personal relationships. She is a Life Choices beneficiary who always strive to have a positive impact on other people. When not working she’s behind her sewing machine, taking pictures or listening to motivational speeches.
Shaun Jaftha
M&E Intern
Shaun is someone who is excited about learning new things and is always open to learning. He is an introverted young man who enjoys getting lost in a good ‘who dunnit’ book or a good sci-fi or musical movie. He is a hard worker who enjoys helping people to achieve their goals. When not lost in a book, he enjoys eating out with his friends and exploring new places.
Aphelele Emmete
M&E Intern
Aphelele believes that hard work pays off to those who remain consistent. He finds motivation though his life and through other people who have had to dig deep to find opportunities. He is a passionate young man who loves teaching business studies and economics to Gr11 and Gr12 learners in his free time. When not working he relaxes by watching documentaries which inform and educate him.
