Staff
Michelle Potter – Executive Director
Michelle Potter, co-founder and Executive Director of SAYes, graduated from Roehampton University with a BA (Hons) in Education in 2007. After working in the music industry for 12 years she trained and qualified with the UK Football Association as a coach, coaching in London and New York for three years before becoming a full-time student in 2004, studying Education with additional subjects in Human Rights and Philosophy. In 2008 Michelle received the Froebel Guild Award for her dissertation on children in care in South Africa and the UK. Since 2008 she has lived and worked in Cape Town, developing the SAYes TIL programme.
Andrew Dellis – Operations Director & Independent Research Scientist
Andrew Dellis graduated with a PhD in Psychology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2011. Before joining SAYes in 2015 he worked with an interdisciplinary team at the University of Cape Town focused on adolescent risk-taking, cognitive control and addiction. He has substantial research experience in Africa, having worked for the Human Sciences Research Council in the Child, Youth, Family and Social Development unit throughout his graduate studies. His research concerns vulnerable populations such as transition-age youth living in conditions of social and economic inequality.
Destino Nzonzidi Kazika – Intern
Destino Nzonzidi Kazika is originally from the DRC and arrived in South Africa at the age of 16. Currently a third-year BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics student at UNISA, he is also a motivational speaker. Destino is an alumnus of SAYes and now works as an intern for the charity.
South Africa Board
Andrew Planting
Chair, SA board and trustee of the UK board; co-founder and executive director of Market Makers, a specialist venture capital company. A university graduate, Andrew has worked internationally for various management consultancy companies and was appointed managing director of two companies. His recent work has been in investments with 1TapCapital and Market Makers.
Malcolm Charles
Treasurer of the SA board; a Rhodes University Commerce graduate with many years’ experience in finance and investing. He has worked as a financial manager, currency and bond dealer and portfolio manager for UTI and Old Mutual, and for the past ten years has held the position of portfolio manager at Investec Asset Management.
Mfundo Kevin Galada
Holds a National Diploma in Sport Management. Previously he worked as Youth Programme/Projects Coordinator for the Desmond Tutu HIV Research Foundation. He is an enthusiastic rugby player.
United Kingdom Board
Marit Mohn
Chair of the UK board and trustee of the SA board; a qualified chartered engineer and solicitor specialising in civil litigation and employment law. She has worked in Canada, the UK and the USA. Marit is a founding member of a UK charity supporting disadvantaged youth and was previously chair of Women’s Pioneer Housing Ltd.
Michelle Potter
Co-founder and Executive Director of SAYes; see the staff section above.