Team

Olmo von Meijenfeldt

Executive Director - ex officio

Olmo von Meijenfeldt, DWF’s Founding Executive Director, continues to serve as a board member in an executive role. He spearheaded the organisation’s establishment, securing seed funding and guiding its growth with the support of the DWF team. His passions include international solidarity, the African Renaissance, and addressing non-profit financial sustainability while ensuring DWF’s relevance in democracy development.

With nearly 30 years of experience, Olmo has overseen the investment of half a billion Rand in governance, democracy, and human rights initiatives in South Africa and the region. He has also fostered DWF’s growth as a diverse, multi-national African team, emphasizing gender balance and women’s leadership.

Democracy building is and must be an ongoing process, whether in South Africa or the EU. It is never ‘finished’, as older democracies show. Investing in democracy takes time, vision and long-term commitment. The returns don't necessarily show overnight, perhaps not even in our lifetime. It is a political development process that should involve all sectors of society.

Sandra Mutyambizi

Director of Finance and Operations - ex officio

Sandra Mutyambizi – ex-officio. Sandra Mutyambizi, DWF’s Director of Finance and Operations, joined the board in an executive role after rising through the ranks since 2018. A seasoned finance professional with over 20 years of experience, she has managed complex financial operations and implemented robust financial policies and controls.

Sandra has successfully led audits and compliance exercises with international donors like USAID and the EU. Her expertise in budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting has ensured sound financial management at Democracy Works Foundation and the Southern Africa Trust. She also has a strong background in operational management, overseeing human resources and contributing to strategic planning. Sandra holds a Postgraduate Certificate in International Accounting and Finance from the University of Liverpool and leverages her financial and operational expertise to ensure organisational success.

Liz Letebele

HR & Administration Manager

Liz has worked at ActionAid South Africa (AASA), at Australia Awards for Africa (AAA) program, with nine years at the Department for International Development (DFID-SA). She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA), a Pan-African and feminist-led initiative that aims to contribute to the development of jurisprudence on sexual rights and women’s human rights on the continent by providing expertise on strategic litigation.

Patience Hwenha

Senior Manager in the Executive Office

Patience Hwenha has dedicated over two decades to the field of development, democratic governance and peacebuilding. Her expertise includes research, grant-making, leadership development and capacity-building initiatives for political parties and civil society organisations. She holds an advanced Master’s qualification in Mediation Studies and a Master of Management in Public and Development Management. She is an avid follower of history, which enriches her understanding of socio-political dynamics and informs her approach to conflict resolution and peace promotion in countries like CAR, DRC, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Yasmin Shapurjee

Research Manager

Yasmin Shapurjee is an Urban Planner and Social Researcher passionate about sustainability, systems thinking, and community development. She has led research on civic tech, rooftop farming, affordable housing, and knowledge resource management. Yasmin has held roles at CSIR, Our Future Cities, and the Civic Tech Innovation Network. With a strong focus on African urban development, Yasmin brings an interdisciplinary approach to her work, bridging research, policy, and practice. She is committed to creating inclusive, resilient cities through collaboration, innovation, and grounded community engagement. Beyond her work, she enjoys nature, creative arts, and volunteering on sustainable building and farming projects.

Raisa Cole

Organisational Development Manager

For the past 11 years, Raisa Cole has worked as a sustainable development practitioner, focusing on climate change adaptation policy. Her academic research and consulting projects have centered around this area. Throughout her career, Raisa has held various business development roles, focusing on strategic planning and resource mobilisation. She holds a bachelor's degree in Social Science from the University of Cape Town, an MSc in International Cooperation and Urban Development from the Technical University of Darmstadt, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Environmental Governance from the Wageningen School of Social Sciences.

Lerato Maloka

Engagement Manager

Lerato Maloka is Corporate Communications Specialist with over 14 years of expertise in 360 communications, specialising in strategic communication, digital media, stakeholder management and project management. Certified in Digital Marketing and Research, she is currently pursuing her BCom Degree in Corporate Communications while leading the strategic communications of various programmes in several African countries. She has agency, Public Relations and Content Development experience. During her tenure as PR Manager, she has conceptualized captivating digital media campaigns and bespoke events, building solid relationships with key stakeholders, media, and content creators. Passionate about leveraging digital technology to amplify citizen voices, Lerato also advocates for people living with mental disabilities, human and climate justice.

Boitumelo Setlhaku

Finance Manager

Boitumelo has Over 15 years of experience in the finance space having started in advertising and branding. She then went into the commercial media space, starting at Multichoice and then progressed to KayaFM where she worked as an accountant for nine years before moving to Media 24 as a senior accountant. Highlights of her career include serving on the Employment Equity Committee while at Kaya FM.

She has a CIS Professional Qualification – Corporate Governance and Administration from WITS University (Fasset). She also completed the Management Development Program (PMD) at The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). Boitumelo has a passion for women empowerment and early childhood education as she believes that a solid foundation is essential for a child's development.

Ujen Dookie

Programme Administrator

Having lived and worked in the UK, India, China and Uganda with a work experience spanning over 20 years in over 15 countries, Ujen's diverse expertise and skill set includes governance, leadership development, climate action, Executive Office Management, programmes, report writing and fundraising. He has an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology and Psychology and an Honours Degree in Social Development, and he is a Certified English teacher through Cambridge University. Ujen is passionate about human rights, international development, and philanthropic work in the Global South. He has worked at Action Aid International and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and, most recently, on the Free the Children Campaign.

Kahisano Kolobe

Project Manager

Kahisano has 10 years of experience in the development sector where she has served as a Human Rights activist and youth development worker. She also has experience in projects of governance, enterprise development, civic education, leadership, youth development, health, public policy and education.

The highlights of her work include being a member of the Local Education Group, a National educational planning team, co founding the Accessible Education, Development and Leadership – an organisation that promotes access and equity to health and education. She also won the 2020 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer by Genderlinks Barometer awards and serves as the Secretary General for the Common Wealth Young Women in Local Government Network Lesotho Chapter.

Kahisano’s key interests lie in youth development and access to education for marginalised groups.

Katiso Mosoeunyane

Monitoring and Evaluation

Katiso has over eight years of experience working in civil society organizations, through research and electoral management. He has experience in various projects including Lesotho’s bulk water supply, electoral management cycles, youth and women initiatives, and capacity building programs for political parties, CSOs, and other stakeholders. He has contributed to national studies in Lesotho aimed at poverty alleviation and participated in the China-Lesotho bi-lateral relations on trade, culture, and technology and written work published by the Chinese Embassy.

He currently provides monitoring and evaluation of a DWF European Union-funded project. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration from the National University of Lesotho. He is passionate about community and skills development and the development of women and youth, and describes himself as an advocate for good governance and the building of just and inclusive societies.