About us
Ubuntu for Africa has been around since 2008, when Sylke Funk founded the association as a volunteer organization. Her impression at the time: so much need and need for action. But how to help without money? That’s why Sylke started recruiting volunteers to take care of the children at the township school. The work at the school simply could not be done alone. She is a social worker and family therapist. The work she did at the township school was also on a purely voluntary basis. She worked with abused, neglected and maladjusted children whose parents were trying to provide for their families under the most difficult conditions or had given up trying to do so. Any help was welcome.
From this experience, Sylke founded several organizations together with “locals”. The German association Ubuntu 4 All Kinder, Jugend- und Familienhilfe e.V. was founded in 2015 as a support structure for the South African organizations. The volunteer organization and the German association are now united under the name UBUNTU for Africa. Kinder, Jugend- und Familienhilfe e.V. Former volunteers are on the board of the association together with Sylke Funk. We all know what we are talking about when we fight for better living and learning conditions for our children, youth and families.
Team South Africa
Sylke Funk: director, general project management, fundraising, coaching
Andiswa Watsha: general management of After Care
Kayakazi (Kaya) Zaza: educational manager of After Care
Mzwandile (Zwaai) Ntozini: sports manager of the After Care
Siphosethu (Sethu)Tyekana: life coach for the family program
Steffi Stockton Malan: psychological support in the family program
From January 2023: Brenda Moloto: volunteer coordinator and support and bridge function between school and After Care. She will slowly take over duties from Sylke.
First chairperson
Pauline Schmiel, 27 years old from Wiesbaden, is currently doing her Bachelor in an-applied social sciences. From October 2018 to September 2019, she volunteered for one year at Ubuntu for Africa in Hout Bay and managed the projects at the primary and high school, among others, together with Sylke and other volunteers.
Before her voluntary service she did an apprenticeship as a businesswoman for insurances and finances, but now she is very happy to have chosen a different path. She is excited about working together and is very grateful to continue supporting and being a part of Ubuntu
Email: pauline@ubuntuforafrica.com
Second Chairperson
Birgitta Latz is a native of Hamburg, Germany, and is a bookseller, educator, and English scholar. After her studies, she completed her World-Wide Volunteer Service at Ubuntu from September 2015 to December 2016.
She worked mostly at Silikamva High School where she led the Girls Groups and Remedial, among others.
Since 2017, she has been living back in Hamburg where she works in outpatient family support. However, she still feels very connected to Ubuntu and IY.
Email: birgitta@ubuntuforafrica.com
Third Chairwoman
Sylke Funk has been in the profession as a social worker and family therapist for 45 years. She has been developing and managing projects in Hout Bay’s Imizamo Yethu township for 17 years. Most of the projects are now under the direction of local associations or schools.
Sylke worked as a family therapist at a Model C School (the old apartheid state school in multicultural format) for 10 years. In her work as a leader of a volunteer organization, she has met many young people who have done excellent work in the township projects.
Sylke is happy to share the chairmanship of the association with Pauline and Birgitta, two former volunteers. She is currently conquering the oceans together with her husband.
Sylke still accompanies, partly on site and partly online the own projects, like Aftercare and the family program. Live or online she gives therapy or leads team meetings. She does the fundraising, collects as much as possible donations for the good cause in Imizamo Yethu (IY or Mandela Park) and is responsible for the general management.
Sylke is a networker and therefore has many reliable contacts in the community. She is a founding member.
Email: sylke.funk@ubuntuforafrica.com
Phone: 0027 73 404 3601 (WhatsApp)