Staff Profile
Diana Hornby: Director
Diana Hornby was appointed Director of Community Engagement at Rhodes University in January 2011. She has 15 years experience in the Early Childhood and Community Development field. She directed the Centre for Social Development at Rhodes University for 6 years and in this time developed a best practice ECD model that received national recognition. Diana was also part of a team that establishing a national network for 70 ECD NPO’s in the country. In 2007 she took over the Angus Gillis Foundation, a rural development NPO with a strong focus on Pro-poor models of development, winning SA’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government Award (Welfare and Community Service) for her work. She has an B Ed Honours from Rhodes University and a Masters in Social Science from Fort Hare University.
Contact Diana: d.hornby@ru.ac.za
Vuyani Zondani: Community Partner and Student Organisation Coordinator
Vuyani Zondani was born in Grahamstown and obtained my BA (Hons) in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape in 1993. He has also completed several short courses such as: Project Management and Environmental Education from Rhodes University, as well as Horticulture and Landscaping from Durban University of Technology.
Vuyani started his career in 1994 as a junior researcher for ISER at Rhodes University and also worked for School of Government at the University of the Western Cape. In 2001 he join HOPE AFRICA in Cape Town, the social development arm of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa as Programme Manager. Before joining Rhodes University again Vuyani managed the GREENING OF THE NATION in both Eastern and Northern Capes under South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).
In 2008, Vuyani joined Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE)
Contact Vuyani: v.zondani@ru.ac.za
Nosipho Mngomezulu: Student Volunteer Programme Coordinator
Nosipho Mngomezulu is the Student Volunteer Programme Coordinator at the Community Engagement Unit. Her work entails training volunteers and coordinating the student volunteer programmes. Nosipho has obtained a BA (law and anthropology) and BAHons (anthropology) at Rhodes University. She is currently finishing her Masters in Anthropology specialising in youth identity studies. Her work has centred on contemporary Black youth identity in South Africa as well as narratives of youth and nationhood in Mauritius. Nosipho has worked in student media and activism since 2006, undertaken research for the Truth and Justice Commission in Mauritius (2010) and was a recipient of the Mandela Rhodes scholarship in 2011. She has been the Community of Mandela Rhodes Eastern Cape representative since 2012 and facilitated dialogues pertinent to education in the Eastern Cape. Her interest in student community engagement lies in creating spaces for students to learn, make meaningful contributions to their community and explore alternative solutions to interconnected challenges we face.
Contact Nosipho: n.mngomezulu@ru.ac.za
Julie-Anne Lothian: Systems and Scholarship Coordinator
Julie-Anne Lothian is the Systems and Scholarship coordinator for the Community Engagement Unit, Rhodes University. She has obtained a BA and BAhons from Rhodes University, and is currently completing her MA in Philosophy, focusing on feminism and the politics of women’s bodies. Julie-Anne also has a particular interest in feminist activism in South Africa. Julie-Anne wasn one of the founding members of the Rhodes University Early Childhood Education society, Inkwenkwezi which has seen a lot of success in classrooms in Grahamstown. While studying within the Philosophy department Julie-Anne also coordinated the GADRA Thinking Skills classes.
Contact Julie-Anne: j.lothian@ru.ac.za
Nosipho Nkwinti: Office Administrator
Nosi has a B. Social Science (UFH) Honours in Psychology (UFH). She is responsible for all the administrative processes and systems associated with CE programmes; assisting with the developing and maintenance of Data Base for individual CE programmes. She also attends to logistical arrangements for all students and staff of the community engagement office, as well as training workshops, awards functions and ongoing support. She deals with the processing of payments, monitoring of expenditure and reporting on areas of concern to the staff involved and the CE director, Diana Hornby.
Contact Nosipho:
Phone: +27 46 603 7229
Fax: 046 603 8869
Email: n.nkwinti@ru.ac.za
Ntuthu Blow-Klaas: Youth Hub Coordinator
Ntuthu Blow-Klaas started off at the Community Engagement (CE) office in February 2012 as a clerical intern. She worked with the Legal Resources Centre in coordinating a monthly school newsletter called the Trading Post. She is married and a mother to a boy and a girl and is currently studying toward an LLB degree with UNISA. In 2013, she will be the coordinator for the Joza Youth Hub that will be housed at the old BAB building. Before she joined CE she worked as an assistant to a lecturer on research projects, she has also worked with the Arkwork Collective. Ntuthu also volunteers some of her time teaching basic literacy and numeracy skills at Lebone/ Little Dragon Pre-School.
Contact Ntuthu: n.blow@ru.ac.za or nontuthuzeloblow@yahoo.com
