Who We Are
The Knysna Initiative for Learning and Teaching (KILT) was established in 2017 to help build an empowered community through education.
History
When Gill Marcus retired to Knysna in 2016, local principals approached her and asked for help with problems in their schools. The principals identified the most pressing needs an education partner could address and suggested potential solutions. The Knysna Initiative for Learning and Teaching (KILT) arose from that discussion, and Gill registered it as a non-profit organisation in April 2017. In 2023 KILT became a Non-Profit Company (NPC).
KILT began by paying for additional teachers and auxiliary staff to reduce large class sizes immediately by lowering the teacher-to-learner ratio. Very soon, we developed tailored reading programmes and remedial support for children. We also created projects to support teachers and principals and provide psycho-social support plus extracurricular activities and projects that address aspects of school safety. Slowly and systematically, KILT expanded its support, including addressing ablution hygiene and school safety.
10 943
Learners Impacted
We now run 17 projects in 17 schools in the Knysna District and have achieved an astonishing reach in just five years.
The Core Team
KILT’s leadership is an experienced group of professionals who believe in the power of learning and teaching. Our team of bright, talented, and passionate people understand the industry and work to support our schools through their various areas of expertise.
Sandy Ueckermann
Managing Director
Brenda Edington
Finance Executive
Kim Joy Weyer
Project Operations Executive
Busisiwe Mningiswa
Operations Manager
Tamara Sokunentsa
Project Capacity Lead
Elisabeth Kirkbride
Monitoring Lead
Anda Hani
Office Administrator
Dru Croutz
Technical Support
Board
Our Board of Directors represents a wealth of experience and insight and have decades of expertise in their respective fields. These committed advisors support us through this journey and keep us focused on our mission of fostering self-empowered schools.
Johann Nel
Non Executive Director
Chairperson
Johann Nel was the Global Human Resources Director for SABMiller plc based in London. He retired in 2016 and lives in Knysna where he has had a home for 20 years. He has extensive experience in global strategy, organisational change, talent management and leadership development.
Tyrrel Murray
Non Executive Director
Deputy Chairperson
Tyrrel Murray is a Chartered Accountant (SA), a Chartered Director, and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (SA). He has more than 20 years’ experience in finance and investor relations. He has served on a number of listed and unlisted boards as an independent non executive director.
Merle Friedman
Non Executive Director
Merle Friedman has a PhD and is a registered clinical psychologist. She has served on local and international professional boards associated with her specialisation in traumatic stress and resilience.
Sandy Ueckermann
Managing Director
Sandy Ueckermann has worked in the nongovernmental education sector for 14 years. She spent eight years at the Knysna rural campus of TSiBA Education, a nonprofit business school, from 2009 as executive director. She is responsible for programme development and for finding and managing KILT’s outsourced service providers. She has led KILT for the last six years.
Adv Jannie Lubbe
Non Executive Director
Senior Advocate Jannie Lubbe was the Chairperson of the Free State Society of Advocates and acted as a Judge of the Free State High Court. He was an Associate Director of KPMG and was involved in high level forensic investigations in RSA, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini (Swaziland). He chaired the Audit Committees of both the Free State and Northern Cape Legislatures for many years, and in 2019, he was the Chief Evidence Leader of the PIC Commission of Inquiry.
Kusum Gaind
Non Executive Director
Kusum Gaind studied in the US and India where she serves on several boards as Treasurer. She has 30 years’ experience in consumer banking, working for Citicorp, Merrill Lynch and other global financial institutions. Kusum is passionate about empowering girls and women through education, mentoring and economic equality.
Thuli Mpshe
Non Executive Director
Thuli is a credentialed executive coach and an independent contractor and consultant. She has extensive experience in leading and transforming human capital as a general manager and executive director spanning over twenty years across industries including banking, retail, and aviation. She is a non executive director and chair of Field Band Foundation and non executive director for ReimagineSA.
Rory Scott
Non Executive Director
Rory is a Chartered Accountant (SA) and was previously CFO of Dimension Data Ltd and non executive director and chairman of the audit and risk committee of Dimension Data Plc and NTT Ltd. He was CEO of the Scottish Knitwear Group until 2022. He currently provides a business consultancy service to small and medium size enterprises.
Dr Vincent Maphai
Non Executive Director
Dr Vincent Maphai is the Chairman of the Sibanye-Stillwater Board and Deputy Chairman of Seasoned Capital. He has served on the boards of various companies as non-executive chairperson, and has also held a two-year academic position at Williams College in Massachusetts.
Dr Maphai was also Chairman of the Presidential Review Commission, a body set up by then president Nelson Mandela to investigate government restructuring and service delivery.
Project Partners
