Our Team
OUR TEAM
Meet Our Team
Our Board of Directors
Danie van den Heever
Judy van den Heever
Rudi van den Heever
Megan
Laubscher
Tayla-Anne
Goss
Leanne van den Heever
Our Team
Tayla-Anne Goss
Who are you?
I am an enthusiastic and compassionate individual who loves working in the non-profit sector. I find so much joy being part of the Focus on iThemba team and making a difference in the lives of children. I’m also a proud mom of two beautiful girls who fill our lives with laughter and love. My husband and I enjoy staying active and travelling, and our home is made even happier with our two playful cocker spaniels and two adorable cats. My values are: kindness, integrity, and collaboration.
Tell us a bit more about your role.
My role at Focus on iThemba is to lead the team and execute our life-changing projects. I love sharing the impactful work we are doing with friends and donors and exploring new fundraising opportunities.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
Being able to invest in children’s lives through quality education and make the kind of difference that will last a lifetime. I have an incredible power team who are passionate, inspiring, and a joy to see every day.
Megan Laubscher
Who are you?
Qualified Accountant, wife and mom-to-be!
Tell us a bit more about your role?
I get to work closely with Danie, Tayla and the board on all of Focus on iThemba’s projects and love working with everyone to help evolve even more impactful and sustainable projects.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
I am excited to be part of an organisation that promotes learning in young people and look forward to contributing to the success of Focus on iThemba by ensuring its enduring financial sustainability.
Tanya Patten
Who are you?
I am deeply passionate about children, especially those in the ECD stage of life. Their resilience, and small triumphs inspire me daily. I believe in teaching with love, kindness and understanding. Above all listening to their thoughts and helping them navigate life’s challenges. Discovering their strengths and building their confidence is at the heart of what I do.
Tell us a bit more about your role.
I am honoured to be part of the iThemba team, dedicated to enriching lives of children by creating valuable relationships with their families, teachers and Principals of their schools. The mission to provide children with the tools, education, and moral foundation that they need to reach their full potential. Supporting their families and helping to build strong values, aiming to shape lives and create lasting change.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
I am absolutely thrilled to work alongside a team whose heart beats for the children. Together, making a difference, one child at a time.
Kerry Clayton
Who are you?
I am a daughter of the most High, I love spending time with my family- family is everything to me! I always try aim to be kind, humble and compassionate towards others.
Tell us a bit more about your role?
My role at Focus on iThemba is to closely keep an eye on the finances, communicate with the finance committee, ensure that we are in line with our budgets and are a sustainable non-profit organization.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
I really am privileged and excited to be able to see the good works of others and how it greatly impacts the lives of the children and community surrounded.
Shelley Barron
Who are you?
I am an inherently optimistic person with a love for people and a real passion for the social and behavioural sciences. I am a creative person by nature so the beauty of art is something I truly appreciate. Although I am qualified in Psychology and HR, I have found a passion for graphic design and marketing and hope to continue this area of focus for as long as my working career allows. Wife to a wonderful husband, mom to a beautiful baby girl and a proud Pug parent, I am blessed with a beautiful family!
Tell us a bit more about your role?
My role at Focus on iThemba is quite diverse and keeps me on my toes! I am fortunate to be involved in heading up the Marketing Department as well as offering support to the Donor Relations Manager.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
Knowing that the impact of today’s investment in a child’s education will harvest a better future for them and to a larger degree, our beloved Country, I am privileged to work for an organisation who contributes to that life-change.
Busi Khumalo
Who are you?
I am a loving mother to my fifteen year old son, Nkanyiso. I am passionate about Early Childhood Development and have devoted 10 years to the education space. I am excited to start this new journey with Focus on iThemba as we empower children to be the best they can be all while Growing their Hearts and Minds.
Tell us a bit more about your role.
I am the ECD Monitor for Focus on iThemba and spend a large part of my time working with the teachers, principals and learners of our partnering Pre-Schools.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
The organisation’s heart is for bettering the community and the belief that every child has potential to learn and grow through education, is something that speaks to me!
Jacky Mac Gregor
Who are you?
I am a proud Wife and Mother to two beautiful children whom I am extremely blessed with. I enjoy going on adventures and spending quality time with my Family and Friends.
Tell us a bit more about your role.
Having just recently joined the company, my role at Focus on iThemba is primarily to offer support to the Donor Relations Manager.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
Having recently joined the Company, I can with all honesty say that the vision of “Growing Hearts and Minds” holds a very special place in my heart. Children are our future and they deserve to achieve greatness. Working alongside like-minded people who have the same vision is truly incredible.
Lunga Nxumalo
Who are you?
I am a proud mother, a wife, a sister and a friend to many. I am known by Auntie Lunga because those who know me know that I always play the role of a mother and aunt wherever I go. I am a qualified social worker and love to involve myself with people who are striving to develop themselves and others for the best. I am a happy and supportive person by nature and love working with young people – they inspire and bring out the youth in me with their exciting hopes and dreams. My faith and family is my everything.
Tell us a bit more about your role.
I joined Focus on iThemba as a full time resident social worker in 2014. Initially my role was to work closely with families, children and parents of our iThemba Kids Foster Care Programme however as this model transitioned out of campus cluster foster homes to off-campus based, my role evolved to providing support to the iThemba Educare and Scholars programmes while continuing to love and support the remaining children in our foster programme.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
The training of teachers, transformation of ECD centres and the quality of education that is being seen in our ECD and scholar programmes is affording an underprivileged community the opportunity to get the best education and a chance to improve their lives and futures.
Focus on iThemba has given me a platform to do what I like the most: to work with children and youth, help them make decisions that concern their lives, and see them grow as unique, special individuals. I have been given the chance to grow as a person and as a professional. I also belong to a team of young and senior members who are vibrant, passionate, supportive, driven and friendly!
Lene Venter
Who are you?
I do not like to be in the spot light and enjoy working behind the scenes. I strive to be effective in everything I do, to deliver results and not to let my teammates down. Optimism and enthusiasm are very important to me, as well as to keep the team’s spirit high during busy times.
Tell us a bit more about your role.
My role at Focus on iThemba is to assist on the finance side, to ensure that financial deadlines are met and to help and assist where ever help is needed, if it is in my ability to help.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
I love what I am doing at Focus on iThemba because there is so much more than just finance! Working with a team to make a difference in peoples’ lives is so rewarding. Although my main function is on the finance side I am exposed to a wide range of other responsibilities including the BEE Audit where I have the wonderful privilege to be involved in the community. Although all jobs have their own challenges, I know I can come to work with a good spirit because I am working with a wonderful team who loves and supports me. There is always change, which creates space to grow. I am very excited about our work in the community, our training programmes and our partners.
Prudence Mbambo
Who are you?
My name is Prudence Mbambo and I am a proud mother of four children; three girls and one boy!
Tell us a bit more about your role.
My role at Focus on iThemba is to keep the working space clean and to set up for functions and events. I pride myself in the work I do because when the staff are happy, I am happy.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
Being a part of the wonderful staff makes me wake up every morning and be happy to come to work. iThemba played a vital role in my daughter receiving a good foundation in education, I am so grateful!
Amanda Drummond
Who are you?
I am a dedicated wife and mom of two who loves spending time with family. I am a practical, analytical and hardworking individual. I am loyal and strongly believe in integrity.
Tell us a bit more about your role.
I provide administrative and secretarial support, to the CEO. Assist in making the CEO’s desk run smoothly.
What makes you excited about working at Focus on iThemba?
I love experiencing the passion and commitment of each and every person who works at Focus on iThemba. Seeing heart in all that is done.