Dr. Vaughan Stannard

Chairperson

Vaughan is passionate about justice and mercy and finding ways to help vulnerable communities experience the transforming power of God’s love and purpose for their lives. His role on the Connect Board is to provide Network Strategy Governance. Vaughan is a qualified medical doctor who studied further in paediatrics, HIV and palliative care after becoming interested in children suffering with HIV and the effects of poverty while working in the paediatric unit of a local hospital. He is working at Beautiful Gate South Africa, a child and family support non-profit organization.

Vaughan is married to Corné, has two sons and lives in Pinelands, Cape Town.

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Cheryl Anderson

Financial Governance

Cheryl is a professional in Sales and Marketing, she has worked at Beckman Coulter, a Global Diagnostic Company for 14 years that delivers innovative, reliable and efficient diagnostic solutions for patients across the globe. She is responsible for all laboratories in the Western, Southern, Eastern Cape and Namibia.

She initially qualified as a Medical Technologist (Haematology) and completed her training at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. Subsequent to that she held the position of Laboratory Manager at Groote Schuur and commissioned the Professor Jabobs Bone Marrow Transplant Unit before managing a group of laboratories in private practice.

Further study in Psychology and Private Law with electives in Human Rights, Constitutional and Medical Law resulted in her obtaining a BA LLB. She then assisted in establishing the UCT Private Academic Hospital as HR Manager.

She worships at Christ Church Kenilworth, has been a leader of the Woman’s Beulah Group, is on the Welcoming Committee and writes for the 8 o’clock News. For a while now she has been drawn to serve in a NPO where she hopes to be able utilise her Strategic Business Management and Project Management qualifications and satisfy her deep-seated need to bring change to people’s lives.

Find her LinkedIn page here.

Errol Valentine

Community Networks Governance

Errol Valentine has committed his life to community development and has been involved in many initiatives to uplift various families, people’s groups and individuals over the years.

He is the co-founder, alongside his wife Tracy, of an NGO called Siyakhula South Africa (Siyakhula means ‘we are growing) and serve the Vrygrond and surrounding areas.

Errol holds a Bachelor of Social Science Degree at the University of Cape Town and has strengths in networking with various organisations. He loves hiking and the outdoors and loves various arts and crafts.

Errol and his wife have three daughters and lives in Muizenberg, Cape Town - they serve as elders at the Bay City Church.

Find his LinkedIn page here.

Lloyd Williams

Board Member

Over the last 20 years Lloyd has worked with organisations who understand what it means to eradicate poverty and who actively work towards this end. His motivation to undertake this work is deeply rooted in his desire to build an equal and just society – a place where every child is seen and provided with the safety, opportunity and resources to thrive.

While implementing education programmes in communities across South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, Lloyd observed how children and youth battle to overcome the systemic challenges they face in their homes, communities and spaces of learning. Growing up in Athlone, Lloyd was confronted by poverty and gangsterism, but lived in a family that valued faith and education – it is this paired impetus to which he ascribes his calling to actively dismantle all forms of injustice.

Lloyd started his career in the Corporate Retail Sector while also working as Youth Worker. He later served GOLD Peer Education Development Agency (2007-2012), Learn to Earn (2012-2017) and The Sozo Foundation (2017-2021), before joining Students for a Better Future (in June 2021).

He has experience in Human Resource and Finance Management; Organizational Development, Non-Profit Governance and Sustainability. He is a husband, father, motorsport enthusiast and aspirant golfer.

“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of Justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life” - Nelson Mandela

Grace Nkomo

Executive Director

Grace strongly believes that the lives of women and children can be improved through effective equipping and collaboration. Grace has a good understanding of the NGO sector and was one of the founding members of Think Twice, which was established to empower children.

Grace has degrees in theology, community development and has completed her PhD in broader development studies with children and food vulnerability. In addition to this, her practical experience in trauma and crisis intervention counselling has given her a greater understanding of the challenges that women and children are facing and how to appropriately respond.

Grace is married to Woyisile and they have two young daughters.

Priscilla Muller

Network and Finance Administrator

Priscilla is an admin ace. Her diverse experience in administration has included administration posts in the government and private sector. Her last position was personal assistant to the organisers of the Lausanne Convention in 2010, which gave her exposure and experience in coordination and hospitality with overseas delegates. Having lived abroad herself, she brings valuable insights to the network's office environment. Priscilla's role on the team is providing hospitality for meetings, managing reception and visitors, as well as ensuring that the office is well stocked and all resources are in good working order. She also administrates Connects Finance’s and data management system.

Priscilla is married to Grant and they live in Somerset West.

Visit her LinkedIn profile.

Lindy Johnson

Network Project Administrator & QIS Coordinator

Lindy Ann Johnson is passionate about applying her skills to help women and children at risk. As office administrator at Connect Network she ensures that all funded projects are administered, data management systems are maintained, digital communication is kept current and coordinates all the QIS online training.

She has an Executive PC Technical & Management Computer Diploma from Computer Career College and a Business Management & Computing Certificate from Damelin Campus Stellenbosch. Lindy owns immaculate organisation skills, is creative and detail-oriented.

When Lindy is not glued to her computer at work she is a lover of nature & enjoys spending quality time with her family. She is a mother of two young adult sons who she values greatly. She lives in Somerset West, Cape Town.

Campher Serfontein

Chief Financial Officer

Campher strongly believes that the lives of people matter and that we should aim to rebuild God’s temples (the people) on Earth.

Campher has worked in the NGO sector for 14 years and was one of the founding members of Heaven on Earth Project, which was established to empower early learners.

Campher has a B Comm LLB degrees with some 30 years experience in Public, Private and NGO sectors in various financial and leadership capacities.

Campher has been married to Adéle for 28 years and they have three children.

Siyoli Waters

QIS Development Project Director

Siyoli is passionate about women and children receiving the opportunities to feel safe enough to just be themselves, to learn and to thrive. As a retired professional squash player who competed on the world tour for almost a decade, Siyoli worked at a logistics company for a number of years as a business analyst. Her first taste of the kind of work that NGO's do and challenges that may face them has been in her involvement with a development squash programme, Ekapa Squash, that allows children of colour an opportunity to play the sport she was so passionate about.

She has a BSc Chemistry degree (UCT), a BCom in Transport & Logistics degree (UNISA) and a Business Systems Analyst certificate (UCT). She is currently completing her Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration.

She currently serves Connect as the QIS Development Director, where it was important to identify the system and digitisation requirements for the organisation in order to to support Connect's strategic objectives, taking into account the incredible and diverse people that dedicate their lives to serve others in our network.

Siyoli is married to Dave and they have two young daughters.

Heather McNiel

GBVF Project Director

Heather is passionate about developing healing interventions that have real impact in environments of on-going threat. She is committed to see followers of Jesus get un-siloed and take hands to move in unity towards wholeness in communities that face the most intense challenges.

Heather has been working with survivors of GBV, CSV and other forms of trauma since 2001. Her experience includes work with children of refugees, foster youth in residential care and young adults impacted by armed conflict. She has worked with youth and NGO staff in the townships of Cape Town since 2007. She holds MA in Intercultural Studies (2000) and is a graduate of the Institute for Transformational Leadership (2007). Heather has offered training to participants from more than 40 nations and serves as an assessor for the African Leadership Institute for Community Transformation. She is the director of Anchored Hope, an organization that builds initiatives in partnership to offset the impact of intergenerational trauma. She is originally from San Diego, California; but has made Cape town her home since 2007.

Heather is a member of Shofar Christian Church. She serves on the board of their Kibwe Kids Project and is part of the worship team at the Brackenfell branch. Heather is married to Arnaud and they have two beautiful daughters, Hannah-Ruth and Eliana. She enjoys drawing, journaling and deep vulnerable conversation over an excellent cup of dark French Roast.