Marlene Whitehead
Programme Manager

Marlene Whitehead has been appointed as Programme Manager at HOPE Cape Town. Given her strong background in financial and programmes development and management, Marlene acted as a resource person to build capacity in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa’s (ACSA) dioceses in six Southern African countries from 1989 to 2008. Having received training and certification in Financial Management and Programmes Management from USAID in Washington DC, and with funding secured from USAID and DfID (UK), she headed the intermediary grant-making Board of ACSA and managed more than 900 community-based projects. Prior to being recruited by HOPE Cape Town in 2017 in the capacity as Donor Relations Manager, Marlene was employed as the Research and Development Officer at the Historic Schools Restoration Project where she worked closely with educationists at historically significant schools throughout South Africa and the Department of Basic Education at provincial and national government level. Marlene has served on various NPO boards which include the GOAL Trust, Fikelela, Braehead House Retirement Housing Trust and ACSA Pensions Board.

Sonia Daniels
HOPE to Home Coordinator

Sonia Daniels started to work at HOPE Cape Town in April 2010. She is the Care and Support Coordinator at the Paediatric Wards of the Tygerberg Hospital. Sonia counsels mothers and caregivers and does group talks on a number of HIV related subjects. Additionally, Sonia is also involved in the volunteer and elective student programme and works closely with the PR office of the Tygerberg Hospital.

Dr. Ana Houston
HOPE Cape Town Doctor

Ana completed the required 2 year internship at the Pietermaritzburg Hospital Complex in KwaZulu Natal in 2007-2008. She then completed her community service year in Tintswalo Hospital, Mpumalanga, rotating through 6 months of Adult Internal Medicine (including TB wards, clinics and psychiatry) and 6 months in Accident & Emergency. After a short break to travel in South America, Ana took up a post as a Senior House Officer in paediatrics at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, Cape Town, in 2010-2011. After completing her DCh, she moved to Michael Maphongwana Community Health Centre in Khayelitsha, where she practiced as a Family ARV Medical Officer from 2012-2014. During this time, she initiated the adolescent ARV service at the clinic. Ana took a month sabbatical to join an internship at the International House of Prayer, Kansas City, MO, USA in 2015. Upon returning from the States in October 2015, Ana joined the team at HOPE Cape Town as a part time Medical Officer.

Dr. Michelle du Plessis
HOPE Cape Town Doctor

Michelle obtained her MBChB degree at the University of Stellenbosch in 2010. She worked for about 5 years in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. During this time there was a natural progression of her career path, starting as a medical doctor in internal medicine, to rural primary health care clinic outreach programmes, progressing to HIV medicine as HIV clinician. Her family relocated to Cape Town in 2015, where she spent the next 5 years in mostly the paediatric research environment (at both Stellenbosch University and University of Cape Town) on preventative infectious diseases trials as well as epidemiological longitudinal studies, specifically looking at which child and maternal interventions can improve early child health and the subsequent health trajectory of the child. She is currently enrolled for the MPhil in Infant Mental Health at Stellenbosch University that will give her the necessary qualification and opportunity to further her passion for improving maternal mental health and child development in South Africa. She has a passion for early childhood development and is involved in Prochorus Delft Early Childhood Development Programme (NGO) in her free time. Michelle joined the team at HOPE Cape Town in January 2021 as part time medical officer.

Robyn Meissner
Occupational Therapist

Robyn graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BSc in Occupational Therapy in 2009. She has many years of experience in working and supporting the needs of children and families infected and affected by HIV. Her MSc dissertation (funded by the National Health Scholars Program) earned a distinction upon graduating in 2016 from the University of Cape Town. Robyn joined HOPE Cape Town in May 2017.

Maria van Blerk
Social Worker

Maria completed her Hons BDiac (Social Work) in 1988. During her career, she worked as a Social Worker for the SANDF and PEN, a Pretoria based NGO. At PEN she specialized in therapy with children. She started working for HOPE Cape Town on a contract basis in 2013, and joined the HOPE Cape Town team as a permanent staff member in 2018. She focuses on the enablement and empowerment of vulnerable children.

Charmaine Pillay
Financial Accountant

Charmaine was born in Durban. Before she moved to Cape Town she and her family lived in Gauteng and Tanzania. She worked with NGOs and Parastatal Finances for many years before she was appointed as Financial Accountant at HOPE Cape Town in 2020.

Shelly Stamatiadis
Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Shelly is a passionate communicator with over 25 years’ experience as a stakeholder engagement specialist across the disciplines of public relations, marketing, strategic communication, brand building and eventing.

During her tenure in senior positions at two of SA’s leading communications consultancies she developed and implemented strategic communications and content strategies for various blue-chip, private and public sector and lifestyle clients. Shelly joined the team at HOPE Cape Town in April 2021.

Zanele Hali
Clinical Nurse Practitioner and Operational Manager

Zanele obtained her BCur Nursing Degree at the University of The Western Cape in 2009 and was placed in Harry Comay TB Hospital in George to perform her Community Service year in 2010. On completion of the Com-Serv year, she moved back to Cape Town to join City Health at Site C Youth clinic in Khayelitsha 2011. Her primary role as a Professional Nurse was adolescent HIV/ARV care and comprehensive SRH services. She left City Health in 2014 to join Kheth’Impilo Aids Free Living NGO where she worked as a Quality Nurse Mentor. During her stay at KI, she completed her BTech Degree in Primary Health at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). At the end of year 6, Zanele joined Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI) to work with Adolescent and Young Women in the prevention of HIV, teenage pregnancy and Gender Based Violence. Zanele joined Hope Cape Town on 1st October 2021 and will be the operational manager of the Holistic Health Centre.

Kaelyn Frans
Education Co-Ordinator for entrepreneurial skills

Kaelyn graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BSoc Sci Honours specializing in Social Development. She has a passion for community development and bringing about positive change. She has experience in working with young individuals from disadvantaged communities emphasizing on empowerment and resilience. Kaelyn joined HOPE Cape Town in August 2021.

Brigitte le Roux
Receptionist

The friendly, welcoming face of Hope Cape Town. Born in Stellenbosch and studied at Boland College Stellenbosch where she obtained a Junior Bookkeeping certification in 2010. Brigitte has worked in various places where community was the main focus, but for the last 8 years worked as admin assistant for a private company where she was always passionate about the company's and customers state and well-being.

Meagan Nel
Grade R educator

Meagan Nel is a qualified, friendly, and enthusiastic educator who has many years of experience in Foundation Phase teaching – including educating children with learning barriers.

She joined HOPE Cape Town in 2022 and initiated the first Global Developmental Delay Grade R class in January 2023.

Luke Whitehead
Maintenance & Technical Co-ordinator/Librarian

Luke joins HOPE Cape Town as Maintenance & Technical Co-ordinator/Librarian. After studying Hotel Management at the IHS International Hotel School (2003) and Web & graphic design at ITBC IT business campus (2006), he later established and ran his own business for the last nine years. Luke is passionate about football.