MEET THE TEAM BEHIND
ASHTON IN ACTION
BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER
PATRIZIA VAN ZYL
By profession, Patrizia is a physiotherapist with a passion for community rehabilitation. This was evident as a young student when she won the Rothberg medal for community development in her fourth year of study. One of her core beliefs is that with God, everything is possible, making it impossible to ignore the needs of others in her community. This driving force motivates her to dream big when it comes to helping others achieve their goals.
AMANDA DE WET
Amanda is a fund manager by profession, but education and community development have always been significant parts of her life. After relocating to Ashton in 2006, while on sabbatical from the finance industry, she established a crèche and aftercare project. She served on the School Governing Body of Prospect Primary School and has been a director on the Board of the Breede River Valley Rural Development Association since 2013.
WILNA BRIESIES
Wilna is an entrepreneur. From 2005 to 2015, she ran a succesful community business employing 25 people aged between the age of 18 and 50 years old. During this period, she discovered a passion for teaching Grade R. She is also actively involved with Silver Threads, an NGO catering to the needs of the elderly. Her background has afforded her the opportunity to work with people of all ages and understand the needs of the Ashton community.
ODWA MVUNGE
Odwa, with a Music Education degree, teaches at Ashton CP School and advocates for arts in disadvantaged areas. He founded and conducts the award-winning Zolani Youth Choir, participates in life coaching, charity work, is a Rotary International Paul Harris fellow, and a board member of the Rural Arts Development Foundation. He believes in early support for talented children, considering their art as an investment for the future.
NELANIE BRUWER
Nelanie holds a B.Ed degree and, after teaching for a few years, left formal education to focus on her family. Raising five children, she actively participates in community projects supporting her community’s well-being. An advocate for healthy families and children, she is inspired by the quote: “Those in this world to educate and care for young children have a special calling: a calling with very little to do with the collection of expensive possessions but a lot to do with the worth inside of heads and hearts.”