Our Team
We are a young and dynamic team. We live what we teach and we are committed to cultivating a generation of confident, conscious and responsible Earthchildren.
JANNA KRETZMAR
DIRECTOR
Janna holds a degree in Anthropology and Psychology, is a qualified yoga instructor with experience in informal education and youth facilitation. Her role is to ensure that the team works with integrity and passion in a way that is sustainable and professional, and in turn to provide our children with positive role models, high quality programmes and valuable skills for life. She believes that through deeply connecting to ‘self, other & earth’ we can co-create a world where people and the planet can thrive!
NOKS JADA
SCHOOLS’ PROGRAMME MANAGER – KHAYELITSHA
Noks has been teaching children’s yoga since she started with Earthchild Project in 2007. She is also passionate about teaching yoga to parents, school teachers, and her community. Noks aims to nurture and inspire the children with whom she works by teaching them to love and believe in themselves.
CARLY APPLEBY
COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING MANAGER
Carly has a background in Nature Conservation and yoga, and is passionate about self development. She values the way that Earthchild Project nurtures self love within our children, and wants to bring the message of what ECP does to the world, so that they too can be a part of the change.
ROMILLY DE BUCK
PROJECT MANAGER
After studying a Bachelor of Social Science, Rom explored working in bookshops, the film industry, the hospitality industry, the publishing industry, and taught English in Taiwan and Peru. Her role assists the team to deliver their best selves in order to expose our Earthchild children and teachers to different ways of thinking and being.Â
PHILA SOPAZI
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Before Earthchild Project, Phila was the operations manager at Project Playground in Gugulethu. She is passionate about connecting with and empowering others to transform themselves and achieve their goals. Her role at ECP is to create an environment in which the team can make a powerful impact on our kids, our communities and our world.
ATHI KHULU
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FACILITATOR
Athi joined Earthchild Project in school and was involved with the first ECP Hiking Club. He now leads the hikes and is our environmental Green Team Lead. Athi loves teaching our children to fall in love with nature, the same way that Earthchild Project taught him to love nature.
LIYA MGUDLWA
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FACILITATOR
Liya was an Earthchild Project Programme Participant and became an ECP intern straight after finishing highschool. Liya is passionate about helping children fall in love with nature and the unfamiliar, as well as creating meaningful relationships with our children.
ANATHI PHITINJAZOMLUNGU
YOGA FACILITATOR
Anathi was a part of Earthchild Project since school and is now a passionate facilitator who takes pride in being a mentor for our children.The relationships that she builds with our Earthchildren brings her joy in her work.
ASEMAHLE NDODANA
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FACILITATOR
Asemahle is an ECP graduate who interned with us after completing High School. As someone who completed the ECP Programmes, Mahle is confident in the positive impact that our programmes have on our children. She loves teaching what she is passionate about – nature and sustainability.
ABONGILE NONKONDLO
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FACILITATOR
Abongile studied Environmental and Water Science, and takes pride in teaching children to love the environment and understand that they are part of it. In doing so, he is encouraging them to be the agents of change, and nature champions, while also helping them to understand that your environment does not dictate your future.
JADENE VAN NEEL
YOGA FACILITATOR
Jadene has been an Earthchild Project participant since she was 10 years old and is now a full time yoga facilitator. She loves that she can give back to her community through supporting children in the same way the facilitators supported her when she was a child. She loves seeing her learners having fun and being free.
NOSIPHIWO MOSHILIBANE
YOGA FACILITATOR
Before starting with Earthchild Project, Nosi was a professional dancer and performer in theater. She is also a yoga instructor and Mindfulness Facilitator and a Health Coach. She is passionate about restoring hope and bringing joy into the lives of our children, while teaching them about life.