YFU South Africa Annual Report 2017-18
CONTENT MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD ................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW ....................................................................................... 3 YFU’S NEW GLOBAL STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE ................................................................. 4 EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.................................................................................................... 8 OUTBOUND PROGRAMS ................................................................................................ 8 OUTBOUND STUDENT NUMBERS 2017-18 ..................................................................... 8 INBOUND PROGRAMS ..................................................................................................9 INBOUND STUDENT NUMBERS 2017-18 .......................................................................9 VOLUNTEER PROGRAM .............................................................................................9 INBOUND STUDENT PLACEMENTS IN THE 2017-18 PROGRAM YEAR ............................... 10 ORIENTATIONS .............................................................................................................. 11 ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES .......................................................................... 12 NATURE, CULTURE AND HERITAGE TOUR ....................................................................... 12 CULTURAL EXCHANGE ................................................................................................13 BUSHWARD SAFARIS ...................................................................................................13 MARKETING ................................................................................................................. 14 REGIONS .................................................................................................................. 14 CAPE TOWN ........................................................................................................... 15 GAUTENG .............................................................................................................. 15 KWAZULU- NATAL ................................................................................................... 15 LIMPOPO and MPUMALANGA................................................................................... 16 UPINGTON (NORTHERN CAPE)................................................................................. 16 TSITSING (NORTH WEST) ........................................................................................ 16 SCHOOL VISITS 2017/2018 .......................................................................................... 16 FREE STATE ........................................................................................................... 18
JOHANNESBURG ................................................................................................... 18 MPUMALANGA ...................................................................................................... 18 PRETORIA ............................................................................................................. 18 POLOKWANE ......................................................................................................... 19 POTCHEFSTROOM .................................................................................................. 19 FORMING PARTNERSHIPS ........................................................................................... 19 PARTNER SCHOOLS ................................................................................................... 19 VOLUNTEERS, STAFF AND BOARD..................................................................................... 21 VOLUNTEER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ................................................................... 21 INTERNS .................................................................................................................. 22 STAFF ...................................................................................................................... 22 STAFF MEMBERS .................................................................................................... 22 BOARD ..................................................................................................................... 23 BOARD MEMBERS................................................................................................... 24 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND BOARD MEETING ....................................................... 25 CONTACT DETAILS ........................................................................................................ 26
2
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Dear YFU family, We have the pleasure to present you with Youth for Understanding South Africa's (YFU SA) Annual Report for the 2017/2018 cycle. The year 2018 marked the centenary celebration of the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, who was an ardent advocate of the transformative power of education. He also stood for tolerance, mutual respect and diversity - values which underpin our organisation. We are proud that during the 2017/2018 cycle YFU SA continued to advance the mission and vision of YFU which is to create generations of empowered global citizens for a more peaceful and sustainable world. With each student we receive from abroad and which each one we send from South Africa, an individual, family, school and community is left with an indelible mark. An exchange experience is transformative for all parties involved and contributes to creating a better world. While the global political / economic climate presents challenges for our organisation and for exchange organisations generally, we are grateful that our valued YFU family comprising our host families, schools, volunteers, staff, interns, communities, partner organisations and board members have enabled our organisation to continue to grow despite the difficult environment. We are confident that continuing to work in this spirit will ensure our sustainability, growth and impact in the coming years. In the current cycle, we will continue to improve on our programme offering, through diversification, quality improvement and further, meaningful engagement with schools, communities and families. We are working on innovative ways to achieve this in a manner that will ensure that we remain one of the leading educational exchange organisations in South Africa and on the continent.
1
The YFU Global Strategy which we have adopted entrenches our position as a reliable international partner and exchange destination, and charts a new course for the YFU global network through its four strategic pillars. On behalf of the board, I wish to thank you all for your support during the 2017/18 programme year. In particular, I thank the dedicated YFU staff, volunteers and interns for their unwavering efforts, without which, our achievements in the cycle would not have been possible!
I have no doubt that you will enjoy the informative report!
Sincerely, Jaymion Hendricks
YFU staff, board members and volunteers at the 2018 Annual General Meeting
2
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW YFU South Africa has continued to develop to support and promote the vision and mission of YFU within South Africa. Our growing body of volunteers and staff represent the diversity of South African society. We continuously strive to achieve YFU’s aim of preparing empowered global citizens for a more peaceful and sustainable world vision. With the YFU network located in more than 60 countries throughout the world, YFU SA exchange students with South American partners, the USA, European partners as well as with our latest partner, Japan. Despite societal and economic challenges, we have been able to sustain our inbounds hosting capacity as well as our outbound capacity during the 2017-2018 program years. Most of our students opted for the year program while a smaller percentage signed up for the semester program. In March 2018, a new international YFU board, as well as a new global strategy, was presented at the National Directors Meeting in, Brussels, Belgium. A new international board was also appointed. Hans Strijdom, vice-chair and previous chairman of YFU SA, was elected as vice-chair of this new international board. The new global strategy will serve to unite our diverse membership. It will also enable YFU to be more effective in delivering our programs and impact to individuals and society at large. A five-year strategy and plan have been set in motion to reach these goals. This Annual Report covers the period from August 2017 to July 2018. This is in line with YFU’s international program cycle which is based on the European school calendar.
3
YFU’S NEW GLOBAL STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE YFU SA is part of YFU’s large international network which consists of over 50 independent national organizations worldwide. The past few years have seen a number of changes to YFU’s global structure and strategy, including the election of a new International Board, the establishment of a new Global Office, and the development of a new Global Strategy. The new International Board of YFU has been entrusted by the members of our organization to lead YFU into the future. YFU offers the world a daring and adventurous invitation to make the world your home: advancing intercultural understanding, life-long learning, global competencies, mutual respect and social responsibility through transformational educational exchanges for generations of youth, families and communities. With our global strategy and plan, we aim to: 1. Better deliver on our mission to advance intercultural understanding and lifelong learning in a world with increasingly growing borders, nationalism, xenophobia and inequality; 2. Continue to build and boost our intercultural exchange and learning experiences in an inclusive, impactful way for today’s and future generations of global citizens; 3. Connect (with) our community of generations of (former) program participants, host families and volunteers to create engaging and collaborative connections lasting a lifetime; 4. Build–globally and locally –effective partnerships with like-minded civil society organizations, governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations and businesses to multiply our impact; 5. Empower as many more people as possible –of all origins, ages and backgrounds - to develop the skills and mindset needed to engage as global citizens for a better world; 6. Learn from our activities, understand our footprint and true impact in the world and adjust our strategies accordingly; 7. Unleash the full potential of our diverse membership and community around the world united under one global identity and by one common mission, while catering to their heterogeneous needs and different realities. 4
Our strategic direction for YFU as one global organization and one global community is based on three major pillars -“living exchange”, “living education”, “living community” that mutually enhance each other as one coherent driving mechanism for change we want to see: Both “living education” and “living exchange” create sustainability and impact, and offer multiple points of lifelong connection to our “living community”. At the core of these three pillars is the “living organization”, which reinforces our identity, provides the structure for our global collaboration and ensures member organizations live up to the YFU promise. And we are not alone. The value of intercultural education is still seen and appreciated, both by individuals (potential students and host families) and by authorities and organizations. World leaders have adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015, with a plan of action for people, planet, prosperity and peace seeking to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. Goal 4 aims for inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. As part of Global Citizen Education, the UNESCO defines “education as a tool to prevent violent extremism”, and is working on different levels and with several partners on implementing measures to achieve this goal. In its Definition and Selection of Competencies (DeSeCo), the OECD has identified Global Competencies as core skills that individuals and societies need to effectively respond to globalization, technological innovations, climate, demographic changes and other major trends. The EU, the Council of Europe and other public and private donors are funding various intercultural education programs and projects. The European Commission and the European Parliament are increasingly open to support and have created a favorable policy environment, for example with the adoption of the Paris Declaration in 2015 and the preparation of a new EU Youth Strategy for 2019. The African Union is putting a focus on intercultural education for youth. Civil society organizations are joining forces to ensure and enable people’s participation in shaping our societies worldwide, to protect human rights, achieve development and build just, tolerant and peaceful societies. The development of global competencies is critical to creating inclusive societies and opportunities for all. The graphs on the following two pages summarize YFU’s new Global Strategy which will guide our work and development for the period 2018-2022 and beyond.
5
6
7
EXCHANGE PROGRAMS YFU SA offers and participates in all the program types offered by YFU internationally. The oneyear academic program and the semester program form the cornerstone of the YFU program portfolio.
OUTBOUND PROGRAMS YFU South Africa offers year and semester programs to 35 partner countries around the globe. In addition, students can participate in short programs (3-12 weeks) to 15 different destinations. The majority of our students opt for one of our European destinations – with Germany being the most popular host country – but there has been a growing interest in our Latin American and Asian partner countries in recent years.
OUTBOUND STUDENT NUMBERS 2017-18 Every year, an average of 10 students from South Africa participate in our outbound programs. In August 2017, two students went on exchange to Germany, two students went to the Netherlands, and one student each went to France, Flanders and the United States. In January 2018, two students went to Germany and one student went to Switzerland.
8
Departure
Program
Country
Students
August 2017
Year
Germany
1
August 2017
Year
Belgium (Flanders)
1
August 2017
Semester
Netherlands
2
August 2017
Semester
Germany
1
August 2017
Semester
France
1
August 2017
Short
USA
1
January 2018
Year
Germany
1
January 2018
Semester
Germany
1
January 2018
Semester
Switzerland
1
INBOUND PROGRAMS South Africa remains a popular destination for exchange students from all over the world and YFU SA receives an average of 28 inbound student every August. The majority of our inbound students opt for the year program, while a small percentage prefers the semester program. On average, 4 students arrive in January for either the semester or year program.
INBOUND STUDENT NUMBERS 2017-18 A total of thirty-one students arrived in August 2017, twenty-nine of whom were on year programs while two were semester students. Seventeen of these students were from Germany. The remaining students came from Austria, Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. In January 2018, we received two inbound students from Argentina, one from Italy, and one student from Germany.
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM YFU SA also places volunteers at Durbanville Children’s’ Home for periods ranging from 3 to 9 months. This volunteer program is an opportunity for students aged 18 years or older to 9
participate in an outreach and upliftment program within the guidelines of YFU. Participating YFU students are given the opportunity to become actively involved in the caring and nurturing of the children at the children’s home. They also acquire skills in various fields which meet the educational requirements of YFU.
INBOUND STUDENT PLACEMENTS IN THE 2017-18 PROGRAM YEAR
10
ORIENTATIONS Orientations for both students and host families are a core component of YFU’s exchange programs. In their home country, the students receive a pre-departure orientation prior to starting their exchange, as well as a post-return orientation after successful completion of the program. In their host country, they receive a post-arrival orientation, which takes place either immediately or a few weeks after their arrival. Year and semester students also receive a midterm orientation, and all students attend a re-entry orientation at the end of their stay. Host families are required to attend a host family orientation prior to the arrival of their student. The orientations for the inbound and outbound students usually take place over two or three days and are led by YFU volunteers, most of whom have gone on exchange themselves. The office staff takes care of all administrative and logistical aspects of the orientations, such as transport, venue bookings, meals and all administrative and organizational tasks. Host family orientations generally take the form of 1-day workshops which are offered in the different regions.
In the 2017-18 program year, YFU SA conducted a post-arrival orientation, a mid-year orientation and a re-entry orientation for the inbound students. The orientations took place in Pretoria and were attended by all inbound students. Other orientations included a pre-departure orientation for the outbound students, as well as three host family orientations in preparation of the arrival of the new inbound students. All orientations were organized by the Gauteng office staff and implemented with the assistance of volunteers and YFU alumni. In addition, a 1-day volunteer 11
training was offered prior to the inbound orientations. The training was led by experienced volunteers and consisted of several sessions on topics such as leadership, workshop facilitation, methods, and social skills. Comprehensive feedback in the form of a questionnaire was collected after each orientation and complemented by feedback from staff and volunteers.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES In addition to its basic homestay program, as well as the orientations, YFU SA offers a range of additional activities for its inbound students. These include host family fun days, community outreach initiatives, and educational tours offered by either YFU or a trusted service provider.
NATURE, CULTURE AND HERITAGE TOUR In November 2017, YFU SA organized a 5-day educational trip in the Magaliesberg/ Hartbeespoort area. A total of 14 students participated in the tour, which took place from 29 October to 03 November 2017.
The activities included visits to the Cradle of Humankind and the Sterkfontein Caves, a monkey sanctuary, the Anne van Dyk Wildlife Centre, Lesedi Cultural Village, a day trip to Pilanesberg 12
National Park and other activities such as hiking, ziplining and a boat tour. The feedback received from the students was overwhelmingly positive.
CULTURAL EXCHANGE A 1-week Cultural Exchange for a small group of students was organized in co-operation with the Tsitsing community in the North West province. The program took place in April 2018. Students were placed with local host families and experienced daily life in a small, rural village. The community received our students with open arms and our program was endorsed and supported by the local chief. The aim of the cultural exchange is to give our students – many of whom are placed in urban or sub-urban areas – the opportunity to experience a different side of South Africa and to make them aware of the cultural differences and socio-economic inequalities that exist in our country. The program was a valuable learning experience for both the students and the host families, as well as the Tsitsing community.
BUSHWARD SAFARIS YFU SA has a long-standing partnership with Bushward Safaris, a tour and travel operator based in Pretoria. Every year, Bushward Safaris offers three educational, YFU-approved tours for our students, including a marine-themed trip to KwaZulu-Natal, a wildlife-themed tour to 13
Mpumalanga and Kruger Park, and a cultural trip to Cape Town. Thanks to the excellent educational content of the tours, as well as the professional organization and leadership, all three tours were a success and were enjoyed by the participants.
MARKETING During the 2017/2018 program year, 24% of our outbound applicants were reached as a result of referrals from alumni and volunteers. The majority, namely 52%, signed up following presentations at their schools. Family connections resulted in 14% of applicants, and the website and social media in 10% of applicants. As a social media presence has become increasingly important, our Facebook page, Instagram page and website remain relevant and are continuously updated. In 2018 we also submitted a proposal to the Western Cape Department of Education to advertise YFU SA at schools in the Western Cape by means of a competition.
REGIONS YFU SA has offices in Cape Town and Pretoria, as well as a network of volunteer and host families that spans across most of South Africa’s nine provinces.
14
CAPE TOWN The Cape Town office is responsible for administrative and managerial program activities. With the retirement of Babs Visser, our administrative assistant, all administrative duties and the management of the outbound program were allocated to the Gauteng and the Cape Town offices. The Cape Town office is also responsible for the volunteer program with the Durbanville Children’s Home. It remains challenging to place inbound students in Cape Town, due to the limited capacity of schools in the region. During the 2017-2018 program year, we placed one semester student in Langebaan. This host family has hosted a total of seven students for YFU SA since 2014. Marketing the outbound program in Cape Town has been more successful. Since 2008, 27 % of the outbound students were from Cape Town.
GAUTENG Gauteng has increasingly become our most important region for both the inbound and the outbound programs. Schools in the Gauteng region are on the whole very open to YFU SA, and in many cases partnerships are formed during the introductory meetings. We have also been able to find host families more readily in the greater Gauteng region. Since 2008, we have managed to place 65% of the total number of inbounds received in the greater Gauteng region and the neighbouring provinces (Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and Free State). During the 2017/2018 program year, 80% of the inbound students were placed in the greater Gauteng region.
KWAZULU- NATAL KwaZulu- Natal is a relatively new region for YFU SA. As a result of yearly school visits to the region, we have been able to retain an interest in the Ladysmith/ Greytown area. During the 2017/2018 program year, we were able to place one student in this region.
15
LIMPOPO and MPUMALANGA Although these regions have limited capacity for hosting, we continue to retain a presence in both provinces. We managed to place eight students in Limpopo in 2017-18. There has been a constant interest in our outbound programs, as well as being open to hosting students. Schools in the towns of Nelspruit and Polokwane have remained very supportive to YFU SA over the years and we have formed partnerships with some of them.
UPINGTON (NORTHERN CAPE) During the 2017-2018 program year, we were able to place two students in Upington. One of our alumni from Upington had reached out to us and we were therefore able to place two students from YFU Germany. They attended Upington High School. We hope to retain the interest of this community in the future and will visit the schools again in 2019.
TSITSING (NORTH WEST) In 2017, YFU SA formed a partnership with the Tsitsing community near Rustenburg in the North West Province. We were invited by Koketso Rakhudu, a tribal chief in the Royal Bafokeng family, to visit this region. YFU SA staff members and volunteers were introduced to the Royal Bafokeng family during a day of celebration and festivities. Subsequently, six students were placed with host families in Tsitsing for a period ranging from a few weeks to several months. In addition, five students were placed with host families in Tsitsing for a two-week cultural exchange experience. This type of cultural exchange experience will take place during every program year in the future.
SCHOOL VISITS 2017/2018 Regular school visits take place twice a year. Partnerships and potential ways of co-operation are discussed during these visits. Partnerships are formed with schools that are willing to accommodate YFU students and allow YFU SA to schedule marketing presentations at the
16
school. YFU SA is often invited to participate in sports and cultural events at the schools. In turn, these schools also support their students’ participation in our outbound programs. Partner schools are also supportive in recruiting potential host families for our inbound students. Forming partnerships with schools during our yearly school visits remains the cornerstone of our marketing strategy and outreach to our communities. Forming partnerships with schools ensures that we can enrol our students in good schools, schedule presentations, and participate in school activities. We were well received at all the schools we visited in 2017-18. Many schools agreed to presentations and Coloured Glasses workshops. Some schools were also interested in the post-grade 12 program options. In order to reach a larger percentage of learners, we have started to present the Coloured Glasses workshops at schools. These workshops use the approach and values of non-formal education to enable young people to examine their own attitudes towards their own cultures as well as other cultures. During the 2017/2018 program year, we visited a total of 54 schools in comparison to 38 during the previous program year. YFU SA visited schools in the Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Polokwane during the 2017-2918 program years.
17
FREE STATE In 2018 we visited nine schools in Welkom, Kroonstad and Bloemfontein. All these schools were interested in presentations, some of which have been scheduled for March 2019. Eunice high school indicated that they would be open to a presentation and would be especially interested in the post-grade 12 program options. In addition, Fichardtpark High School, Jim Fouche High School, Oranje Meisies High School, Sentraal High School, Sand du Plessis High School, St Michaels’ High School and especially St Andrews High School were all very interested and open to presentations. We will also visit schools in Kroonstad and Welkom.
JOHANNESBURG We visited 18 schools in the greater Johannesburg area, where we had placed students at seven schools in the past. During this program year, students were placed at Woodlands International College, Randburg High School and Linden High School. Presentations were given at 14 schools. A further 8 schools indicated that they would be interested in Coloured Glasses workshops.
MPUMALANGA In Mpumalanga, presentations were given at Nelspruit High School, Kanonkop High School and Bergvlam High School. These three schools have hosted several of our students in the past and remain very open and receptive to YFU SA.
PRETORIA We were able to visit fifteen schools in the greater Pretoria area. Students were placed at eleven of these schools during previous program years. During this program year, students were placed in Afrikaans Meisies High School, Menlyn High School, Willow Ridge High School, Montana Poort High School and Lyttelton High School. We also visited Afrikaans Seuns High School as one of their learners had gone on exchange with YFU SA several years ago. Four schools, namely Gerrit Maritz High School, Waterkloof High School and Uitsig High School, requested that we present the Coloured Glasses workshops at their schools. 18
POLOKWANE During the 2018/2019 program year we were fortunate to place three students in Polokwane. These students attended Tom Naude High School and Pepps College.
POTCHEFSTROOM Six schools were visited in Potchefstroom. Ferdinand Postma High School expressed interest in a presentation. The High School for Girls Potchefstroom and Boys High Potchefstroom are interested in potentially sending their students on exchange. Technical High School and Volkskool Potchefstroom are interested in hosting our inbound students.
FORMING PARTNERSHIPS In order to continuously increase our reach and visibility, we attended the WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) conference in Johannesburg in August 2018. WESSA is one of South Africa's oldest and largest independent non-government environmental organisations. They focus on, and are involved in, establishing ecological infrastructure, ecotourism, establishing work skills, schools programs, youth development, and establishing education centres. As the aim of this conference was to facilitate dialogue and form partnerships, especially with role players in youth exchange, we aim to establish closer ties with these organisations in the future.
PARTNER SCHOOLS During the 2017-18 program year, close to 30 schools took in one (or, in some cases, several) of our exchange students. Our partner schools play a vital role in the success of our programs and we would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the principals and staff of these high schools which are listed below. We would not be able to offer our educational programs without the continued support of our partner schools, many of which go above and beyond to give our students the best possible exchange experience.
19
In the 2017-18 program year, the following schools hosted one or more of our inbound students: •
Hoërskool Jeugland in Johannesburg
•
Ladysmith High School in Ladysmith
•
Hoërskool Menlopark in Pretoria
•
Hoërskool Waterkloof in Pretoria
•
Welkom Gimnasium in Welkom
•
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria
•
UJ Metropolitan Academy in Johannesburg
•
Hoërskool Kemptonpark in Johannesburg
•
Hoërskool Upington in Upington
•
Hoërskool Pietersburg in Polokwane
•
Mitchell House School in Polokwane
•
Hoërskool Dinamika in Johannesburg
•
Mokomene High School in Ga-Ramokgopa
•
Midrand High school in Midrand
•
LG Holele Secondary School in Ga-Rankuwa
•
Hoërskool Frikkie Meyer in Thabazimbi
•
Hoërskool Gerrit Maritz in Pretoria
•
Rasema Secondary School in Ramatsowe
•
Hoërskool Lydenburg in Lydenburg
•
Hoërskool Secunda in Secunda
•
Hoërskool Montana in Pretoria
•
HTS Tom Naude in Polokwane
•
Rondebosch Boys' High School in Cape Town
•
The Glen High School in Pretoria
•
St. Mary's Diocesan School for Girls in Pretoria
•
Mmanape High School in Rustenburg
20
VOLUNTEERS, STAFF AND BOARD As a non-profit organisation, YFU relies strongly on volunteer support. YFU SA is no exception and volunteers form an important part of the support structure of YFU South Africa. Volunteers assist YFU South Africa in various ways. Since 2015, they have formed the Placement Support Persons Committee (PSP) that renders support to the inbound students. They contact the students and their host families on a monthly basis to ensure that the requirements of our program qualities are met. They also provide support and counselling to the students and host families. To date, we have approximately 30 active volunteers and 15 semi-active volunteers within YFU SA.
VOLUNTEER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT YFU SA is committed to offering training and development opportunities for our volunteers on a regular and on-going basis. A compulsory volunteer training the day before each student orientation was introduced in 2017. The trainings are led by experienced volunteers – in some cases supported by staff members or interns – and include sessions on workshop facilitation in general, as well as sessions aimed at the specific purpose and content of each orientation. In addition, a training session for the Placement Support Persons was held after the arrival of the new inbound students in August 2018. The training was attended by the majority of PSP
21
volunteers and facilitated by staff, board members and volunteers. We will continue to offer this training on an annual basis, especially for new volunteers.
INTERNS We also rely on volunteers from our partner countries to assist in the Gauteng office. These volunteers – most of them former exchange students – offer their time and expertise to us as interns. They assist with administrative tasks, school visits and presentations, orientations, as well as the Coloured Glasses workshops. During 2017 and 2018, Maren Nordgreen from Norway, Botond Kovago-Laska from Hungary, Larissa Robitschko from Austria, Helena Kaim from Germany, and Ronja Hildebrandt from Germany assisted the Gauteng office.
STAFF In January 2017, our administrative and outbound assistant in the Cape Town office, Babs Visser, retired. Subsequently, we appointed Lena Gronbach as marketing and outbound coordinator. In addition to her YFU SA duties and responsibilities, Lena also managed to receive her MSc degree in Development Studies at the University of Pretoria in 2017. Rouet du Plessis joined YFU SA as a part time staff member in 2017. She is responsible for coordinating the counselling of our inbound students. Together with the Placement Support Persons, she liaises with the host families and students, to monitor progress and to address issues and potential problems.
STAFF MEMBERS Dr. Nina Voges (National Director) Nina, who lives and works in Cape Town, has been YFU South Africa’s national director since 2008. She holds a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Johannesburg as well as a number of other degrees. Before she joined YFU she worked in the fields of international relations, strategy and education. 22
Rynette Scholtz (Regional Director) Rynette became involved with YFU when her son went on exchange in 2000. She became an active volunteer in 2003, a board member in 2006 and has been the regional director for Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, the Free State and KwaZulu Natal since 2007. She has since been a host mother to a countless number of exchange students and interns and has a heart as big as a taxi – there is always room for one more.
Lena Gronbach (Marketing and Outbound Coordinator) Lena went on exchange to Chile in 2006/07 and became a volunteer for YFU Germany after her return. In 2011, she came to South Africa as a marketing intern for YFU SA and immediately fell in love with the country and its people. She joined YFU as a part-time staff member in 2015 and is responsible for the outbound programme, marketing, social media and orientation planning. She lives in Cape Town and is a PhD student at the University of Cape Town where she conducts research on social protection and financial inclusion.
Rouet du Plessis (Inbound Support Coordinator) Rouet started off as a host mother and then slowly but surely became an integral part of the YFU team in Gauteng. She now co-ordinates the placement support council, as well as counselling and student placements. She has also hosted numerous students “in between placements” and joined YFU as a part-time staff member in 2017. Rouet also works as a tutor and is passionate about education and intercultural learning.
BOARD As a registered non-profit company in terms of the South African Companies Act, 71 of 2008, the Board of YFU SA is tasked with a governing, overseeing and monitoring YFU SA’s mandate. It consists of volunteers who are elected to serve on the Board. During the 2017-18 program year,
23
the board of YFU South Africa continued to support YFU SA in a governing, overseeing and monitoring capacity As the Board of YFU South Africa contniues to ensure representation from young members of the organization, two new board members were appointed in 2018, following the resignation of Ngoako Mashitisho in December 2017.
BOARD MEMBERS Jaymion Hendricks (Chair) Jaymion Hendricks, an admitted attorney, was an exchange student to Germany in 2004 and thereafter became a volunteer upon his return. He has served on the Board of YFU SA and later became the vice chairman until he took over the chairmanship in 2015. Jaymion is passionate about young South Africans reaching their full potential and building a better South Africa, Africa and world. He firmly believes in the values YFU SA promotes, namely: mutual respect, intercultural understanding, diversity and social responsibility.
Hans Strijdom (Vice-Chair) Hans Strijdom is a Professor of Medical Physiology at Stellenbosch University, and lives in Cape Town. He has been a volunteer for YFU since 1995 when YFU SA was founded, and has since hosted 6 exchange students from abroad. He has been a Board member since 1998, and is currently serving a second term on YFU’s International Advisory Council. Hans is passionate about YFU and its mission, and hopes to serve the organisation for many more years to come.
Magda Buitendach (Board Member) Magda and husband Thys have been host parents since 2008 and Magda started volunteering for YFU in 2009 after their first student went back home. All of Magda´s family members are YFU volunteers and are actively involved in orientations, finding host families, being contact persons and whatever their hands find to do. They have hosted many exchange students and have 24
became parents of not only their own daughters but also 2 exchange student daughters and 4 exchange student sons.
Siyabonga Ndlozi (Board Member) Siyabonga Vusumuzi Ndlozi went on exchange to Germany in 2016 and is currently a secondyear medical student at Stellenbosch University. He joined YFU as a volunteer after he returned from his exchange and is also a Developmental Mentor at Hipporates Residence (Stellenbosch University), a member of the Tygerberg LGBTQIAP+ Society, and a member of the Friends of MSF (Doctors Without Borders). He is a firm believer in the saying 'We learn more from those that are different from us' and strives to promote a discontinuity in sexism, racism and other forms of discrimination and prejudice.
Mokete Bopape (Board Member) Mokete Bopape, an analyst by profession, believes in advancing intercultural understanding through educational exchanges for youth - precisely the values YFU promotes. Mokete is a development finance student currently pursuing her masters at the University of Cape Town. She is passionate about development on the African continent.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND BOARD MEETING YFU SA’s Annual General Meeting, as well as the annual Board Meeting, took place in Pretoria on 26 August 2018. The event was attended by 15 board members, volunteers and staff members. Items on the agenda included the chairman’s report, the financial report, the annual business plan, and the election of two new board members. In addition, the Gauteng office presented an overview of its activities and achievements, as well as an update on the Placement Support Council and other volunteer-related activities and plans. The chairman’s report, the financial report and the business plan were adopted unanimously. In addition, the two new board members were elected and are now serving their first term on the board of YFU SA.
25
CONTACT DETAILS Nina Voges National Director Email: nd@yfu.org.za Phone Number: +27 82 337 3563
Rynette Scholtz Regional Director Email:Rynette@yfu.org.za /info@yfu.org.za Phone Number: + 12 549 0312/ + 27 82 464 3756
Lena Gronbach Marketing and Outbound Coordinator Email:Lena@yfu.org.za Phone Number: +27 84 715 6373
Rouet du Plessis Inbound Support Coordinator Email: Rouet@yfu.org.za / rouetduplessis@gmail.com Phone Number: +27 60 962 3301
Website: http://www.yfu.org.za Social Media: @YFUSouthAfrica
26