As the Founder and CEO of The Unity Water Foundation, I spearhead innovative solutions to address water scarcity and empower women and children in under-resourced communities. This position involves strategic planning, project management and implementation, and capacity building as we drive social change through water sustainability projects. My role so far has included:1. Established The Unity Water Foundation to address water scarcity and its impact on women and children, aiming to increase access and availability while reducing time spent collecting water.2. Developed and implemented programs that provide development opportunities and humanitarian aid to communities in crisis or conflict.3. Led the integration of GIS StoryMapping to chart the impact of our projects, and assist other organizations in mapping their own.4. Managed the creation and development of the interactive water learning and project portal, Hippo Hub (hipporollerusa.org).5. Supervised a team of volunteer interns and five GIS scientists, while also coordinating a volunteer team of remote experts working for Unity Water.6. Oversaw project development, management, implementation, and crisis response.7. Handled marketing and communications, and traveled to attend global conventions, conferences, and seminars to network and develop partnerships.8. Worked closely with a team of mentors based in the US.9. Managed all aspects of the organization’s operations and oversight.

Transformed a once amateurish magazine into a professionally designed publication with a robust digital presence and engaging editorial content. Expanded its reach to over 20 African nations and international subscribers in the USA, Australia, and the UK.Key Achievements:Editorial Enhancement: Revitalized the magazine with feature articles, social, and bite-sized content, catering to a diverse reader base.Digital Expansion: Successfully launched a digital issue, with more than 90% of our subscribers opting to receive this format. This digital shift not only retained existing readers but also appealed to new audiences.International Collaboration: Regularly liaise with editors worldwide, Rotary staff in Evanston and at regional offices, and Rotary leadership at various levels to source content that resonates with our global readership.Volunteer Management: As the contributors are volunteers, I tactfully manage relationships with contributors, readers, and subscribers, fostering participation from Rotary Clubs and Districts.Financial Acumen: Contributed to significant operational cost reductions while maintaining reader satisfaction across both digital and print mediums.Pioneering Leadership: In 2009, became the youngest editor of a Rotary Regional Magazine at the time and played a key role in the 2012 publishing license agreement negotiations with Rotary International.Impact:The transition to a "twin track" publishing approach significantly reduced operating expenses, demonstrating a successful balance between digital innovation and traditional print media. The magazine's evolution under my leadership has not only broadened its reach but also deepened its impact, making it a vital resource for its diverse and expanding audience.

OVERVIEWEngaged in diverse roles, from international campaigns to providing web solutions, business cards, and branded materials for various organizations and SMEs. My work spans across continents, collaborating with teams worldwide to deliver innovative solutions and impactful campaigns.KEY PROJECTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS• WeLocalize (2021): Served as a South African English language subcontractor, integrating natural language processing with machine learning to enhance AI applications.• RFHA Collaboration (2021): Teamed with international partners in South Africa, Ireland, Netherlands, and India to develop a new crowdfunding platform and website for RFHA. This involved data collection from 11 countries, content creation, and adherence to brand guidelines.• Epworth Foundation (2020-2022): Oversaw content creation and marketing strategy for their Global Giving campaigns, produced annual reports, and handled graphic design tasks.• Rotary Family Health Days (2020): Managed the communication media and committee, coordinating with leadership from the National Department of Health, SANAC, and Rotary.• Independent Publishing Services: Recognizing a gap in the market, I began offering comprehensive publishing services to independent authors. This includes editing, cover design, layout, and marketing. Notably, David J. Allen’s book "Leadership in the Trees" has reached its third print order under my guidance.IMPACT AND SKILLSMy work has been pivotal in enhancing the visibility and effectiveness of various campaigns and services. My ability to manage complex projects across different countries and cultures has not only resulted in successful outcomes but also enriched my skills in international collaboration, project management, and creative problem-solving. My initiative in independent publishing has addressed a critical need in the market, showcasing my versatility and dedication to quality in every aspect of my work.

At Love Howick, I wear multiple hats as the Office, Marketing, and Donor Relations Manager. My expansive role is underpinned by a commitment to excellence, collaboration, and community engagement. My core responsibilities include:Leadership & Team Management:Overseeing and mentoring a robust team of 40+ individuals, along with a subset of managers, staff, and interns. I'm dedicated to ensuring that every individual feels valued, heard, and motivated.Operational & Project Management Oversight:Ensuring the streamlined functioning of divisions based on the admin campus, encompassing both operations and logistics.Policy & Procedure Adherence: Representing the employer in labour disputes, ensuring our team's well-being, and fostering compliance with established policies and procedures.Communication: Bridging communication between the division and the director, ensuring clarity and unity of purpose.Reporting: Regularly updating the board of directors and the director on progress, challenges, and solutions.Policy Development: Actively assisting in the drafting, writing, and finalizing of organizational policies, ensuring they are both relevant and effective.Community & Donor Engagement:Liaising extensively with the public, donors, funders, and the broader community. This engagement is pivotal in understanding their perspectives and needs.Conflict Resolution:Skilfully mediating personnel conflicts and disputes between organizational representatives and the general public.Performance Monitoring:Ensuring all managers under my jurisdiction are meeting their KPIs, adhering to policies, and effectively implementing organizational systems.Support & Collaboration:Serving as a supportive pillar for senior management, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone thrives.With a holistic approach to management, my objective is not only to meet organizational goals but also to cultivate an environment where every team member excels.

About:At Love Howick NPC, I lead the marketing and events team. We've made significant strides in community transformation through public/private partnerships, driving initiatives that align with our mission and engage diverse stakeholders.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESStrategic Leadership: Heading a versatile team handling our organization's image, reputation, and marketing strategies. My team includes an assistant and three marketing interns.Campaign Management: Developing and executing comprehensive marketing campaigns, managing social media, web design, and content creation.Event Coordination: Orchestrating various events to boost community engagement.Fundraising & Brand Management: Leading fundraising and brand management efforts, producing branded materials, and ensuring consistent messaging.Interdepartmental Collaboration: Working with over 170 staff and interns to maintain marketing and reputation strategy cohesion.Creative Oversight: Managing graphic design, copywriting, and videography. Collaborating with freelancers.Financial & Administrative Management: Overseeing departmental budget, reports, strategic planning, and monitoring.Donor & Partner Relations: Maintaining strong relationships with donors and partners.Crisis Management: Addressing a major reputational challenge, working with the CEO to implement a strategy that minimized damage and actually enhanced our online engagement and lead generation across Southern Africa.RECENT PROJECTS:Love Cities Launch: Played a crucial role in the marketing strategy.Social Media Brands: Managed and led campaigns for four distinct brands.Entrepreneurship Initiatives: Directed marketing for entrepreneurship events and networks.Product Launches: Led marketing for Zuri, Bag 'o Rags, Midlands Magic.Sporting Fundraising: Developed branding for TeamRed.Dream Centre Toolkit: Created a toolkit for establishing Dream Centres in South Africa.

Role and Responsibilities:Social Media Strategy: Manage five distinct social media profiles for the Rotary Action Group for Family Health & AIDS Prevention.Content Creation: Responsible for crafting both text and graphic content, tailored to each platform to maximize engagement and relevance.Community Engagement: Actively engage with the online community, fostering discussions, responding to queries, and building a supportive network.Organic Growth: Successfully increased the size, reach, and interaction of these profiles organically, demonstrating a deep understanding of social media dynamics and audience preferences.Planning and Development: Develop comprehensive social media and content plans, aligning them with the organization's goals and audience needs.Impact:My management of these profiles significantly enhanced online presence and community engagement. Through strategic content creation and active community interaction, I managed to organically grow the audience and increase the impact of the organization's online efforts.

Role and Achievements:Leadership & Strategy: Managed the public image activities for over 1600 Rotary Club members in South Africa and Lesotho. My role required dynamic leadership to inspire communal thinking and active participation among members.Public Image Strategies: Implemented and led effective strategies to enhance the public image of Rotary District 9370, ensuring alignment with Rotary International's brand compliance.Member Engagement: Successfully engaged a volunteer base of 1600 members, maintaining their energy, motivation, and commitment. Balancing motivation with realistic expectations was key to avoiding apathy or over-pleasing.Reputation Management: Oversaw social media and reputation management, responding swiftly to potential crises and maintaining a positive public image.Event and Media Relations: Involved in event planning, media relations, and crisis management, ensuring a cohesive and positive image of Rotary in the community.Skill-Based Volunteer Recruitment: Assisted in identifying individuals with specific skills for various functions within the organization.Budget Management: Managed the public image budget, ensuring efficient and effective use of resources.Impact:My strategic approach not only strengthened the public image of Rotary District 9370 but also contributed to increased membership, community support, and funding partnerships. By effectively managing brand compliance and supporting members in relevant areas, I ensured a consistent and impactful presence of Rotary in our communities.

As a part-time residential letting and listings agent in the Empangeni area, I effectively managed a range of responsibilities crucial to the real estate domain. My role encompassed sourcing properties and tenants, a task that required keen market insight and a proactive approach.Key Responsibilities and Achievements:Property and Tenant Sourcing: Successfully identified and secured suitable properties for listing. Simultaneously, I was adept at finding reliable tenants, ensuring a good match between the property and occupant.Landlord and Tenant Liaison: Acted as the primary point of contact between landlords and tenants. My responsibilities included facilitating communications, negotiations, and agreements that served the interests of both parties.Dispute Resolution: Handled any conflicts or issues that arose between landlords and tenants. My approach focused on fair and effective resolution, prioritizing the satisfaction and rights of all involved.Market Knowledge: Maintained an up-to-date understanding of the local real estate market, which was instrumental in advising clients accurately and securing favorable deals.Impact:During my tenure, I honed my skills in real estate management, client service, and conflict resolution. My ability to balance the needs of landlords and tenants, coupled with my market knowledge, contributed significantly to the success and smooth operation of Just Letting Empangeni in the residential sector.

Role and Accomplishments:Content Development & Planning: Planned and developed content for each issue of Rotary Africa. This involved meticulous organization and foresight to ensure a cohesive and engaging magazine.Article Writing & Photography: Wrote various articles, ranging from features to monthly columns and advertorials. My role also encompassed photography, capturing images that complemented and enhanced the written content.Editing & Content Design: Edited content submitted by contributors, ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment with the magazine's tone and style. Developed, researched, and designed new content, sections, and features for the magazine, continually seeking to innovate and refresh the publication.Layout Design: Responsible for the overall layout of the magazine, including the design of adverts. This required a keen eye for aesthetics and an understanding of how layout impacts reader engagement.Image Preparation: Prepared and optimized images for publication, ensuring they met quality standards and contributed effectively to the storytelling.Board Reporting: Regularly reported to the board of directors on editorial progress, providing updates on content development, reader engagement, and strategic direction.Impact:During my tenure as Interim Editor, I successfully balanced creative and administrative responsibilities, contributing significantly to the magazine's quality and appeal. My efforts in content planning, writing, photography, and layout design not only enhanced the magazine's aesthetic but also ensured its content remained relevant and engaging for its readership.

Role and Contributions:Content Creation: As a Senior Journalist, I was responsible for producing both the written and photographic content for the weekly Highway Mail (with a distribution of over 55,000 copies) and its fortnightly sister publication, The Queensburgh News.Versatile Reporting: Our team functioned as all-rounders without specific beats. I particularly excelled in investigative journalism, hard news, and community reporting. My photographic contributions spanned conflict and sports photography.Mentorship: Assisted in orienting new, junior journalists and often played the role of a mentor to university interns, sharing insights and practical knowledge of journalism.Cross-Department Collaboration: Occasionally contributed to writing content for the advertising department, showcasing my versatility and collaborative spirit.Production Assistance: Volunteered to help the Desktop Publishing (DTP) team with the layout of both The Highway Mail and Queensburgh News, significantly reducing the production time for these large publications.Impact:During my tenure, I not only honed my skills in diverse aspects of journalism but also played a pivotal role in mentoring future journalists. My willingness to take on additional responsibilities, such as assisting in production and advertising content, reflected my commitment to the newspaper's success and efficiency. My contributions were instrumental in maintaining the high-quality standard of our publications and fostering a collaborative work environment.

Responsibilities and Achievements:Content Creation: I was responsible for both the written and photographic content of the weekly newspaper, which had a distribution of over 15,000 copies. My role encompassed creating diverse and engaging content that resonated with our readership.Versatile Reporting: As part of a team of all-rounders, I didn’t have a specific beat but excelled in various areas. I particularly stood out in hard news and community reporting, showcasing my adaptability and skill in covering a wide range of topics.Photography Excellence: Demonstrated expertise in conflict and sports photography, capturing compelling images that added depth and perspective to the stories.Award Recognition: In 2007, my work was recognized with a Highly Commended accolade in the Hard News Photography category at the Caxton Community Press Awards. This honor highlighted my ability to capture striking and meaningful images in challenging situations.Impact:During my tenure, I contributed significantly to the newspaper’s content, both in writing and photography. My ability to handle diverse subjects, from hard news to community stories, coupled with my skill in photography, greatly enhanced the publication's quality and appeal. The recognition I received at the Caxton Community Press Awards was a testament to my commitment to journalistic excellence.

Role and Responsibilities:Law Enforcement: Stationed at Midway, near Estcourt, I was a registered Peace Officer responsible for law enforcement on provincial and national roads. My duties included weighbridge enforcement and operations.Emergency Response & Incident Management: Performed emergency response and managed collision/incident scenes. I ensured effective, safe, and quick clearance of scenes while preventing secondary incidents. This involved taking control and coordinating the roles of other emergency services, towing operators, and cleaning teams.Control Room Operations: Regularly rotated through the control room, managing weighbridge activities and facilitating communication between the station and officers on duty.Leadership Roles: Held the portfolios of Regional Information Officer and Mission Directed Work Team (MDWT) shift/team leader. Additionally, I contributed to shift planning, optimizing operational efficiency.Impact and Skills Developed:During my tenure, I honed my skills in law enforcement, emergency response, and operational coordination. My role required quick decision-making, effective communication, and leadership, especially in high-pressure situations. Managing diverse teams and coordinating with various stakeholders, I ensured that road safety and law enforcement standards were consistently upheld. My experience as a Provincial Inspector significantly contributed to maintaining safety and order on KZN's roads.

Role and Responsibilities:News Reporting: Covered a diverse range of news, including hard-hitting, community, and social topics. My role involved not only reporting on these stories but also capturing compelling photographs to accompany them.Content Editing: Skillfully rewrote submissions from various contributors, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and engagement in the final published pieces.Layout Design: Responsible for the layout of articles and news stories, I played a key role in how content was presented and perceived by the readers.Image Processing: Performed image scanning and editing, ensuring high-quality visuals were paired with each story, enhancing the overall impact and readability.Impact:During my tenure, I contributed significantly to the breadth and depth of news coverage. My ability to blend photographic skills with journalistic acumen allowed me to tell stories in a more vivid and relatable manner. The work I did in layout and image processing helped in maintaining a high standard of visual appeal and professionalism in our publications.