The purpose and vision of the Foundation is to promote/advocate and facilitate an improved understanding and practice of sport and the application of Universal and Olympic values as tools for development and peace.
Marion is a former athlete, coach and teacher. She has a D.Phil. in Sports and Exercise Sciences from the University of Heidelberg, Germany and an LLB from the Law Faculty of the University of the Western Cape where she is an Associate Professor. She has been involved in research, teaching and community engagement in sport, development and peace internationally for over 20 years and published widely in the field. She is an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa and certified in Sport Law and in Mediation. From 2005-2014 she has been one of the founders and Chairperson of the Western Cape Network for Community Peace and Development, consisting of 32 NGOs working in the area of sport and conflict transformation, youth leadership and community development. She is on the Ministerial Advisory Committee for Sport and Recreation and member of the Eminent People Group for Sport and Transformation for the Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa. In 2014 she was appointed by the President of the International Olympic Committee as expert on the Commission for Culture and Olympic Education and in 2015 as IOC member on the Olympic Education Commission.
Prof. Christo de Coning is a freelance academic, evaluation consultant and a development practitioner. He is both a Professor Extraordinaire at the School of Public Leadership, University of Stellenbosch (to December 2017) and a Professor Extraordinaire at the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape (October 2012-September 2015). He is presently a contract researcher at UWC on Sport and Development and a facilitator of M&E technical assistance projects and Certificate Courses at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Sport Science and Development (ICESSD) at UWC and an Evaluation Consultant and Advisor to National Treasury. He is a founding Director of the Institute for Sport and Development as well as the Foundation for Sport, Development and Peace. He specializes in public policy, strategy and implementation, M&E, as well as development management.
Heidi is an entrepreneur, successful property developer and a philanthropist. She is actively involved in development activities and current projects include the design and development of sustainable villages, transformative learning and teaching environments, prototype iSTEAM (Innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths) Academies and various other city based urban planning initiatives to create holistic living environments with a strong emphasis being placed on meeting the humanist, educational, social and environmental needs of disadvantaged communities.
She is also involved in social upliftment initiatives, is a co-founder of EDuQ8 AFRICA, a Cape Town based company established to tackle sub-Saharan Africa’s education crisis and founded the London based EDuQ8 INTERNATIONAL in order to attract leading educators to Africa.
Ntombise Mene is the Head of the Education and Training sub-unit at Sport and Recreation South Africa. She joined the Department as a Parliamentary Officer and has since occupied different positions, the longest being in the Recreation Directorate of the Department wherein Ms. Mene coordinated different recreation programmes and assisted in a survey on the provision of recreation by various stakeholders. Ms. Mene also co-authored the Indigenous Games Leader, and was a member of the Standard Generating Body for CATHSSETA and represented SRSA in the Sport Chamber. Ntombise Mene is currently the Secretariat to the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Recreation, an advisory body to the Minister of Sport and Recreation, on the implementation of recreation programmes. She also represents SRSA in the Technical Working Group for the Region 5 AU Sport Education Accreditation System.
Jan Koster is an experienced institutional development, capacity building, strategic planning and programme design specialist. He has provided management and technical support and advice to local and international public sector and private sector institutions, non-government organizations, development finance institutions and to international donors. He successfully led the negotiations, the design and implementation of some of the important multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary capacity building programmes and projects in the South African public service. From 2007- 2013 he was the Programme Manager of the very successful Infrastructure Delivery Improvement Programme (IDIP) which is based in the South African National Treasury. Jan worked with non-government and non-profit organizations in Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. He successfully combines the high quality of his technical work with an approach that promotes the transfer of experience and the buy-in and the support of key stakeholders to ensure long-term sustainability.
Dr. Anver Desai started his teaching career in 1982 and is presently the Principal of a primary school in Athlone. He holds a PhD from the University in the Western Cape and specialized in policy-agenda setting of physical education (PE) and school sport (SS). He has a wealth of practical experience and he has been very involved in school sport at national, regional and local levels as well as sport development at schools. His Masters dissertation focused on Transformation and Reform in Sport, Western Province Cricket Association. In 2006 he received the Golden Key Fellowship for academic excellence and was awarded the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship (SYLFF) and in 2009 he attended Jawaharlal Nehru University New Dehli India to conduct research. Being a Senior Management Team member in an educational environment placed him in a position to experience first-hand the challenges of ensuring that school sport are prioritized despite many other priorities. Dr. Desai has written a number of articles and post-doctoral research on Physical Education, School Sport, Curriculum, Education Policy and Transformation and constantly places PESS on the policy agenda. His knowledge and exposure to this transformation process is regarded as an invaluable asset to the Board.
Chimwemwe A.P.S. Msukwa holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Sport Science and Development (ICESSD), University of the Western Cape. He is the Chairperson of the Transformative Engagement Network (TEN) – a network established to build institutional relationships between the National University of Ireland Maynooth, University of Mzuzu in Malawi and two universities in Zambia – the Open University of Zambia and Mulungushi University to enhance capacity and enable local communities, academics and policy-makers effectively engage with each other to better respond to climate change and environmental problems relating to hunger and nutrition. He is a freelance development practitioner mostly focusing on designing of participatory development processes based on African culture, training development practitioners as well as facilitating social transformation processes. Focal sectors include: food security, development of farmer organisations and institutions, smallholder agricultural marketing; community based natural resource management, water hygiene and sanitation; primary health care, community conflict transformation and youth leadership development. He is also involved in designing of monitoring evaluation and learning frameworks and community based participatory monitoring and evaluation systems.
Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe is currently the CEO of the Desmond Tutu Tutudesk Campaign Centre (DTTCC). This organization aims to address the 95million desk shortage in sub-Saharan Africa, by providing 20 million Tutudesks to 20 million children by 2020. The Tutudesk is an environmentally friendly, light portable desk that children can use at school or at home, in regular classrooms or under tree. Thus impacting education & literacy and improving the lives of African children, their communities and countries and making Africa a more globally competitive continent through education. Ms Tutu-Gxashe has lived, worked and been educated in the UK, Swaziland, Botswana and the USA. She is passionate about education and public health, especially in the fight against HIV/AIDS. During her MPH studies at Emory University, Atlanta, she received several fellowships to enhance her academic programme at the Centers for Disease Control, Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, South East AIDS Training Center & the Dekalb County Board of Health. Much of her working life has been in clinical research both in the USA and in South Africa. She undertakes public speaking at universities, schools and community groups in the USA and South Africa. She serves on several Boards including the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, Africa’s Children’s Fund & Heifer International (South Africa).
Warren Lucas is the Foundation’s Youth Representative and newest member of the Executive Committee. He is a Sports Scientist, currently pursuing a PhD in Public Health and Family Medicine at the University of Cape Town. He is an Associate Researcher, Lecturer and Registered Exercise Professional of South Africa (REPS SA) in the field of Exercise Science, Recreation Therapy, Public Health and Sport for Development with affiliations to the University of the Western Cape, Exercise Teachers Academy and the South African Medical Research Council. Warren is a former Protea Team South Africa Gymnast and is the President of the Cape Town Gymnastics Association. He is the Head Coach of UCT Gymnastics Club (FIG Level 3 Qualified Coach – Gymnastics). For the Foundation for Sport, Development, and Peace, Warren heads up the Youth Programme and The Youth Peace Heritage Games, which has become one of the Foundation’s main projects which take place alongside the Annual Cape Town International Sport and Peace Conference. Warren is a Mandela Washington Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) Fellow, and named one of Africa’s Brightest Young Minds for 2017. Warren is passionate about wellness, youth development and community health with the aim of preventing illness and noncommunicable diseases, reducing the burden of both mental and physical disorders and dedicated to the development of confidence and generic skills, especially those of collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking and aesthetic appreciation, through using sport as the medium to achieve this.
Mpai Tshidisegang Tshwaro Rampou, is currently doing her Masters in Sport Recreation and Exercise Science, at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa and leads youth groups in sport and recreation activities at the Annual Youth Peace Heritage Games with the Foundation for Sport, Development and Peace. She is a NRF Collaborative Post-Graduate Training Grant recipient and her interests lie in Sport for Development, Sport Event Management as well as Sport Science and Public Health Research. Mpai is also currently working part-time as a Junior Researcher for the Institute for Sport and Development and in the near future, she plans to use sport to uplift and empower female youth in low-resourced communities.
Mpai’s message to South Africa’s Youth: “No matter how difficult your circumstances are, don’t give up. Everything happens for a reason and your time will come!”
Joshua O’Connor, is a final year Sports Science student, majoring in Psychology and Community Health at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. Joshua is a qualified Basketball Coach and he is the Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and the Senior Head Coach of the Wynberg Warriors Basketball Club, which aims to provide a sport and recreation outlet to youth at-risk individuals in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, teaching important life skills of collaboration, teamwork and engaged learning. At District Level, Joshua is a Senior Referee and Technical Official and serves on the Basketball Technical Commission with the Cape Town Basketball Association, and at University level, he is the UWC Basketball Coach, guiding and preparing students to compete at the annual USSA Competition. Joshua has also completed an Undergraduate Internship with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, leading Community Health Programmes and initiatives. For the Foundation, Joshua leads Youth groups at the Annual Youth Peace Heritage Games and promotes the Universal and Olympic Values through leadership and execution of the sport and recreation activities as a part of the Youth Programme of the Foundation.
Joshua has a passion for health and wellness, believes in the principle of play and recreation and has his eyes focused on becoming a successful young sporting entrepreneur, helping members of various communities in Cape Town achieve wellness through participation in sport and recreation.
Joshua’s message South Africa’s Youth: “Work hard in silence and let your successes make the noise. The harder you work, the luckier you become.”
Raedene Lucas is a Sports Science graduate from the University of the Western Cape, in Cape Town, South Africa. She is currently pursuing a Post-Graduate Diploma in Sport for Development and Peace with the Interdisciplinary Centre for Sports Science and Development covering various aspects of developing communities using sport, and making use of Olympic and Universal Values to facilitate Community Health and Wellness, for all across the lifespan. Raedene is a Former High-Performance Provincial Gymnast, for the Western Cape Province in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics and competed at National level for 10 years. Academically, Raedene’s interests are within Exercise Physiology, Anatomy and Psychology, specifically within the sub-discipline of Sports Psychology, with intentions to do an Honours Degree in Psychology at the University of Cape Town. Raedene is a Teaching Assistant for 2nd and 3rd year Sports Science students in both BA and BSc streams at UWC, assisting in the learning processes involved in Human Movement Sciences. Raedene currently specializes in Sports Massage for injury prevention and recovery. She is a Level 2 Certified Sports Massage Therapist (ETA), with the hopes of opening up her own recovery initiative, promoting the importance of muscular recovery in sport. For the Foundation, Raedene is a Youth Leader, assisting in executing the tasks involved with the annual Youth Peace Heritage Games. She facilitates youth groups and aids in the personal and social development of youth individuals. She is a confident leader, helping at-risk youth to realize their full potential, through leading by example. Raedene believes in the power of sport and encourages youth to invest in themselves and their communities, using sport, to teach essential skills necessary for overall well-being.
Raedene’s message to South Africa’s youth: “Be kind to one another, help each other, lead one another, and learn from each other. Be the person that you would want to follow and respect. Leave a legacy that you can be proud of, inspiring your peers to do the same.”
Chanté Johannes is a Qualified Sport Manager, and is a Sports Science and Management Graduate (BA SRES, Cum Laude) of the University of the Western Cape, currently completing her Masters Degree in Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science. Chanté is affiliated to the Department of Sports Science as Junior Lecturer at UWC, and her area of speciality is within the Sport and Recreation Management Sciences as well as Comunity Health for emergency and low-resource settings. Chanté works closely with specialists in the field of Recreation Therapy, Sport and Development and Public Health, while employed at the National Research Foundation as a Research Intern within Sports Management. Chantés’ research passions are in both quantitative and qualitative research approaches and she focused on growing her skillset in the field of Event, Economic and Operations Management Sciences within Sport, Recreation and Tourism, respectively. Chanté is also a student on the Erasmus Mundus: Caring Society Project (CASO), which is a project lead by a consortium of international universities and research partners and focuses on physical education and health of children and youth, especially in disadvantaged communities. With the Foundation, Chanté participates in Youth Leadership at the Annual Youth Peace Heritage Games for the past 2 years, striving to promote health and well-being in Youth through sport and recreation initiatives. Chante is excited about making a contribution to the Sport and Development discipline, through growing her skills in Monitoring and Evaluation, and is active in research initiatives of her own, in the field of health, wellness, physical activities and the Sustainable Development Goals for children, adolescents and young adults.
Chantés’ message to South Africa’s youth: “YOUR fate is in YOUR hands, no matter the circumstance, YOU are the captain, YOU are unconquerable.”
Cian Carl de Coning, is currently studying his Masters in International Sport Development and Politics, at Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln in Germany. Cian is also currently working for the Institute for European Sports Development and Leisure Research as a Research Assistant under Dr. Karen Petry. The Institute for European Sport Development and Leisure Research forms the framework for the sport-political and recreational activities of the German Sport University Cologne.
Cian is also a Junior Researcher at the Institute for Sport and Development. ISD is a specialist provider of technical assistance advice, support, research, and training in the field of sport and development.
His passion lies in Rugby coaching with an IRB Level 2 qualification and has been coaching for the last six years. Included in this is his voluntary work at the Foundation for Sport, Development and Peace, where he has been an active youth leader at the annual Youth Peace Heritage Games for the past years.
Cian has a PhD in mind for the future, as well as focusing on developing coaches in South Africa to improve the social well-being of the youth in his community.
Cian’s message to South Africa’s Youth: “Persevere in every small task, as it all adds up in the end, give it your all and it will pay off #allornothing!”