Our team is comprised of smart and dedicated people who believe in our long-term vision, that it is indeed possible for all South African kids to learn to read for meaning and calculate with confidence by age 10 by 2030. These are the people we trust to lead our programs, develop our materials, and advocate for their widespread uptake by government.
Head: Content & Training
Permie Isaac is currently the Head of Content at Funda Wande. Initially employed as a coach in the Eastern Cape intervention, Permie was quickly promoted to Maths Specialist, to Head of Maths Implementation, and finally to Head of Content. Her rapid career progression highlights the fundamental role she plays in Funda Wande and the clear advantages her deep knowledge of all content areas as well as teacher practice has for the organisation.
Before joining Funda Wande Permie worked as a lecturer at Rhodes University teaching PGCE and BEd students. She lectured two courses, IsiXhosa Methods and Education Environment. She also later lectured the Foundation Phase Literacy Teaching Short Course. Permie started her career as a successful Foundation Phase teacher in a struggling environment and holds a PGCE in Foundation Phase from Rhodes University.
In addition to her rich career and educational history, for the past 9 years Permie has emersed herself in many aspects of education, from working with experts in literacy and numeracy, curriculum planners, subject advisors, school management teams, teachers, parents and learners. Together this vast network of experience gives Permie essential insights into the educational system at various levels, providing her with critical knowledge into how key stakeholders work together to either ameliorate or exacerbate existing social inequalities.
Permie strongly believes that teachers are the most essential ingredient in shifting learner outcomes. Her key interest is in strategies to improve and sustain teacher practice within classrooms.
Head of Eastern Cape
Zaza Lubelwana is the manager of the Funda Wande Intervention in the Eastern Cape. The intervention is in 30 schools focusing on developing Foundation Phase teachers in teaching Reading for Meaning.
She is heading a team of six coaches in the intervention and was one of the content writers for the Funda Wande course which in now offered at Rhodes University. She has been a teacher for 10 years before joining Molteno Institute as a literacy coach in the Gauteng Primary Literacy and Mathematics Strategy (GPLMS). Thereafter she joined Zenex literacy programme as a coach in six schools, isiXhosa Home language.
Co-Head of Maths
Before joining Funda Wande she was a Foundation Phase teacher at Holy Cross School. She has been a part-time lecturer at Rhodes University for the past 4 years, lecturing Isixhosa method for BEd FP and PGCE FP as well as Education Environment. Permie has been extensively involved in the development of the Funda Wande booklets and was one of the teachers that were filmed in the creation of the Funda Wande videos. She is also part of the team that lectures the Foundation Phase Literacy Teaching short course at Rhodes University.
Maths Specialist
Thobeka is currently a Literacy Coach at Funda Wande based in King William’s Town where she is coaching teachers in the Buffalo City Metro. She has a B.Ed honours degree, is a qualified assessor and is currently completing her Masters in Development Studies. Thobeka has 28 years teaching experience of which 26 years was dedicated to teaching mathematics in the intersen phase and other subjects informed by unavailability of a teacher. She has taught foundation phase in many schools and is currently tutoring students specializing in Grade R at SANTS
Maths Specialist
Vuyokazi Mafilika is currently a Maths Specialist Coach at Funda Wande based in Grahamstown. She has been involved in the field of education for 30yrs and has 20 years of experience working with schools in the Eastern Cape Province. She taught Maths for 10 years at Thandokhulu High School in the Western Cape. In 2001 – 2004 she joined Maths Centre and was involved in the National Maths project called Quality Learning Project working with High School Teachers. In 2005 – 2006 she worked for different organisations in the field of education and later in 2007-2020 she joined Edupeg / Edufundi as mentor supporting teachers in Maths and instructional practice.
She obtained Bed Hons from University of South Africa, FDE (Maths) from University of Cape Town, Senior Teachers Diploma from Lumko College of Education and she is currently studying towards Masters in Science Education with University of Fort Hare. She is passionate about Education.
Lead: Eastern Cape Intervention
Zaza Lubelwana is the manager of the Funda Wande Intervention in the Eastern Cape. The intervention is in 30 schools focusing on developing Foundation Phase teachers in teaching Reading for Meaning.
She is heading a team of six coaches in the intervention and was one of the content writers for the Funda Wande course which in now offered at Rhodes University. She has been a teacher for 10 years before joining Molteno Institute as a literacy coach in the Gauteng Primary Literacy and Mathematics Strategy (GPLMS). Thereafter she joined Zenex literacy programme as a coach in six schools, isiXhosa Home language.
PM: University Training
Training at Funda Wande. In collaboration with the Centre for Social Development at Rhodes University, she has developed an Advanced Certificate in Foundation Phase Literacy Teaching.
A variety of open-source resources have been created as part of this project, including videos and an on-line App. Sarah is responsible for continuing the development of the Advanced Certificate and fully aligned Short Courses. She is also responsible for extending the use of the resources to other contexts and for advocating for the improvement of literacy teacher education.
Sarah has extensive experience in teacher education and curriculum development, and has taught at undergraduate, Honours and Masters level.
Project Coordinator
Nomathamsanqa Octavia Mali is a well-spoken individual, a team player who prides herself with a vast administration background with different private sector companies. She has studied Logistics and has been privileged to do the admin work with companies that deal with such. She has been into youth development programs since the early stages of her life in the church and in her schooling days. She hopes to use her experience to further the Funda Wande mission. She will be based in the Port Elizabeth office as the Office and Logistics Coordinator and will be responsible for supporting the Funda Wande team in the EC with all travel and logistics request and ensuring efficient day to day running of the office.
Project Administrator
Kamzati Mphalalo is an Office administrator assistant. He is responsible for carrying out the internal administration of the Eastern Cape Office. A Psychology graduate from the University Of Kwa Zulu Natal, where he has served as an academic liaison and secretary for Usizo Foundation. A student & Non-Profit Organization that’s geared towards enriching lives of youth through access to Education and Entrepreneurship. His fields of interest also include Organizational development and Food security.
Office Assistant
Nyameka Manto joined Funda Wande in March 2021 as a General worker for the Eastern Cape office.
She has more than 10 yrs experience in the professional cleaning industry. Skilled in a wide range of cleaning and deep cleaning services, with the ability to clean and maintain commercial premises and offices in line with high quality standards. Trained in handling hazardous chemicals, she has a high level of efficiency and organisational skills.
Her current role as the general worker is to provide efficient cleaning and auxiliary services within the office and ensure a well-maintained work environment for employees and visitors alike.
Coach / Foundation Phase Specialist
Nomazizi is currently a literacy and Mathematics coach at Funda Wande based in King William’ s town where she is couching teachers in Buffalo City Metro.She has a Bed honours degree. She has taught in foundation phase for 21 years of which in those years she managed to be a foundation phase HOD for 6 years. In 2016 she was chosen by the district officials in Gauteng province to be a language lead teacher of which she was leading 21 schools with 36 HOD ‘s. She also worked as a translator on a part time basis , translating foundation phase provincial mathematics paper in Gauteng.
In 2019 she worked as a project team assistant for Bala Wande where she was translating and editing the isiXhosa version of the material,working as video team assistant director,video footage coding and general office support in the Johannesburg office .She was also hired as a coach at Funda Wande on 2 months contract in 2020.
Her passion is on investing tremendously on the development of teachers in curricula related matter. Teaching and learning precisely is regarded as the core engine that the human capital that is a teacher has to drive in any school. Teachers hold a fundamental potential that creates and shapes our learners. Hence she more continous investment pertaining teaching and learning have to be done.This is the reason she joined Funda Wande which is an initiative that is aimed at improving and strengthening teachers effectiveness in teaching isiXhosa and Maths. In her view it goes without say that each child deserves to learn from a masterful teacher in order for them to read for meaning and calculate with confidence.
Coach / Foundation Phase Specialist
Nomalungelo is a literacy coach at Funda Wande. She joined Funda Wande in January 2021, after teaching the Foundation and Intermediate Phase for 23 years. Nomalungelo did her Senior Primary Teachers’ Diploma (SPTD) at Cape College of Education. She went on to complete her BEd degree majoring in Foundation and Intermediate Phase at Fort Hare University after teaching for a number of years. In 2021, Nomalungelo is completing her BEd Honours degree, with her mini research project focusing on the challenge that many primary school children in township schools have, which is the challenge of reading and writing.
Nomalungelo has been involved in literacy projects which aim to develop reading and writing at a primary school level. She has also been involved in many school committees which include being a part of the school management team. She was also the Foundation Phase Head of Department (HOD) of her previous school until 2019.
Her vision is to see all learners in South Africa being confident in reading, so that they may be successful in all their pursuits in life, using the skills they learnt in reading.
Coach / Foundation Phase Specialist
Babalwa Tyalana is currently a Literacy Coach for Funda Wande in Eastern Cape, in the Sarah Baartman District. Before joining Funda Wande, she was a Foudation Phase teacher for 5 years in the Western Cape Department of Education. She studied her Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Rhodes University in Grahamstown. Before Rhodes University, she worked for Ubuntu Pathway, where she developed her passion for developing a child’s education and changing lives. At Ubuntu, she ran an After School Program and ran Holiday Camps for the orphaned and vulnerable children.
Coach / Foundation Phase Specialist
Nomvuzo is a Literacy Coach at Funda Wande, for the Volkswagen Community Trust Program schools. She has 27 working years experience as a teacher and was a Foundation Phase Teacher and the Head of Department at Molefe Primary School, where she had the privilege of being the acting Principal in 2019.
Nomvuzo was also involved in a number of school programs and committees. She has a Junior Primary Diploma which she obtained at Algoa College and further advanced her qualifications by obtaining the Advance Certificate in Management and Organisation.
She was nominated and appointed as the Cluster Leader for seven schools where she supervises curriculum matters. In additions, she was elected to facilitate the CAPS document and Mathematics proficiency in the Nelson Mandela Metro.
She has enrolled and participated in workshops which cover a range of skills development and educational programs such as; Roles and Responsibilities of Subject Heads, Reading in the foundation phase, Funda Wande Anthology Training - just to name a few.
Coach Assistant
Wendy Mandla joined Funda Wande in 2022 as a Teacher Assistant.
She was then appointed as a Coach Assistant in January 2023 because of her eagerness to learn and hard work. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences with Psychology being one of her majors, at the University of Fort Hare.
She has a passion of making a difference in the Education field as she hopes to make a positive impact on the children's lives as they all deserve quality education.
Coach Assistant
Thulani Sokrowa was born in KwaZakhele, Port Elizabeth, currently known as Gqeberha.
He then grew up in the rural areas of Fort Beaufort. Thulani joined Funda Wande in the Eastern Cape in December 2021 as a Teacher Assistant. Due to hard work, commitment, and dedication, he was then appointed as a Coach Assistant in February 2022.
He is a firm believer in personal growth and development. Since joining Funda Wande, he has developed a passion in youth development, as a whole.
Coach Assistant
Thandiswa Blayi Joined Funda Wande in 2022 as a Teacher Assistant. Because she was ambitious, diligent, goal driven and hardworking she was then appointed as a Coach Assistant in January 2023.
One of her goals is to enrol to study Teaching as she developed/discovered her passion and love for children while she was a TA.
Indeed "Hard work breeds prosperity"
Coach Assistant
Phumezo Soka joined Funda Wande as a Teacher Assistant in term 3 2022, he previously worked as a Teacher Assistant at Funda Wande.
He is currently enrolled at UNISA studying towards a B.Ed in Foundation Phase Teaching. He strives to keep growing himself and his team while making a huge impact in the lives of people in throughout the country. He hopes to one day build at least one library in the disadvantaged communities in the province.
Coach Assistant
Minqweno Galada is a Coach Assistant who joined Funda Wande as a Teacher Assistant in April 2022. Growing up in a big family has given her a passion for education as she would always help the younger kids at home with their homework, as much as this sparked her interest, it was being a teacher assistant that really gave her a feel of how it is to be a teacher and have a class full of learners.
Through her dedication, hard work, passion, and hard work, she felt that being a teacher assistant was not enough as she wanted to reach more kids. When the opportunity of a Coach Assistant came, she grabbed at that with both hands and made sure she is noticed enough to be the best candidate. She has fallen in love with education and will now enrol in B.Ed.
“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the weakness to learn is a choice.”
Coach Assistant
Elona Katangana joined Funda Wande in February 2022 through his ever willing to help attitude and leadership qualities he was appointed as Coach Assistant.
He has excelled in his role and has shown exponential growth. Elona has been reappointed to be the Coach Assistant for the year 2023.
He has a love and passion for mathematics and his favorite quote is : “Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics”
Graduate Intern
Pulula Soya is a Graduate intern at Funda Wande (Eastern Cape office). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies from Nelson Mandela University and currently furthering her studies in Development and Education.
Pulula began her Funda Wande journey as a Teacher Assistant where she started honing her skills and passion for working with learners and contributing to making a positive change in the education space. She is currently involved in various facets within the Eastern Cape intervention and quickly gaining the knowledge and experience that will immensely equip her future endeavours.
Her field of interest lie within the space of education and economic development.
Admin Assistant Intern
Babalwa Anansia Mcoseli was born in the rural areas of Nqamakwe in the Eastern Cape. She studied Information Technology at Nelson Mandela University majoring in support services.
She Went for the 2021 December Teacher Assistant trainings, Because of her enthusiasm and diligence she was noticed and was offered an office assistant intern position in February 2022 and got contract extension in 2023 as admin assistant intern.
She has always had passion for developing the youth and assisting them to better their education by founding an NPO that offers extra classes for high school students for them to improve their passing marks. She believes in loving each other, because through love we can conquer anything.
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