Meet the EWSETA Team

Prof Rosenberg is a Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Education and leads a research Chair in Environment and Sustainability Education at Rhodes University. She was the first person to graduate with a Masters in Environmental Education from Rhodes, 30 years ago! Some of her most exciting work has been to help develop and offer new courses for others to join and grow the field of environment and sustainability education and learning in South Africa and SADC.

My name is Mzukisi Kuse from the Eastern Cape. I am currently a PhD scholar at the Environmental Learning Research Centre, in Rhodes University. I have a background in the Environmental and Geographical sciences, but currently I am positioned in the environmental education field. My passion for nature conservation and environmental sustainability are what led me to pursue a career in environmental education, because we are intrinsically connected to nature through a complex process and society needs to be aware about this. Throughout my varsity and work journey, I have always been intrigued by systems thinking and transdisciplinary approaches towards complex issues facing society.

Sarah Jane van Lingen  is a associate researcher working for the Environmental Learning and Research Centre. She holds a Master Education focused on mobile learning. She has been working on the Amanzi for Food project since 2018 with particular interest in developing the online course. She is interested in mobile learning and how one can use technology to assist learning in agricultural communities.

Dr. Wilma van Staden is an agri-ecologist specialist associated with the ELRC, Rhodes University. She holds a PhD in sustainable agriculture education and an Msc in Environmental Management. She joined the Amanzi for Food team in 2015 and has been part of the education sector since 2005. She is also an E-Learning researcher and consultant who designs, develops and deploy learner centered, co-engaged, active learning solutions anchored in Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Management.

Preven Chetty has been working in the field of environmental education, school based education,outdoor education and teacher education for more than 15 years. He has worked with/for the Outward Bound, Ethekwini Municipality, Department Of Education, WESSA, DUCT, Greenpeace Africa, UKZN, UNISA, Earthwatch, Rhodes University and other EE initiatives throughout this time. In 2012 together with a small group of ecowarriors from the Duzi Umgeni Conservation Trust they walked the entire length of the Umgeni River monitoring water quality and engaging in EE activities along its banks with school learners. This led to further explorations and EE work along the catchment throughout the decade. Currently he is completing his doctoral study at Rhodes University on resonance building praxis and enabling ecologically literate learners through practical fieldwork activities in riparian systems.

Ruan Naude has been working in the field of environmental education for the past 4 years. His masters research focused on the interlinkaegs between higher education, specifically economics, and sustainability transitions in the South African banking sector. He has been involved with, and contributed to,  the Gauteng Environmental Education Forum and the Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa. More recently  he has been a tutor on the Rhodes Training of Trainers course( facilitating social learning in NRM contexts) and worked as a researcher on a project for the Energy and Water SETA which examines the relationship(s) between education and work in the sector at various levels. He is interested in this course as he has found, through his work and  research, that active and robust engagement, participation and co-design by a broad range of diverse stakeholders is crucial to ensure the long term viability and ultimate impact of NRM interventions.

Robson Mukwambo has a strong background in Environmental Education for Sustainability. He has worked with the Wildlife Environment of Zimbabwe (more than 7 years), Kwekwe Environmental Education Programme (more than 5 years) and Sebakwe Conservation Education Centre-UK Trust for more than 2 years. He holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Education for Sustainability (MeD) and he has just finished his PhD with Rhodes University. Throughout his work 14 years’ experience, in his Masters’ and PhD’s journey, he has used social learning processes and cultural historical activity analysis to address multidimensional complexities (including water and energy) in farming communities in Zimbabwe. He is delighted to be part of this tutorship team and to share and learn together with the participants on this exciting course.

Sidney is a PhD scholar at ELRC-Rhodes University. His PhD study focuses on reimagining agricultural extension qualifications and mapping workstreams for VET skills planning and development. Sidney’s academic background is interdisciplinary, ranging from Business (BBA) and Management (Hons) to Food Security (MSc) and Environment. Sidney has experience facilitating formal and informal VET settings and has previously worked as a Teaching Assistant, a Trainer and Mentor for the Micro-MBA course, and an Enterprise Development Consultant. Sidney remains proactive in the Environmental Sustainability and transformation of  Africa’s VET and Food Systems.

Makume Tlaleane started his career as a high school teacher in Maseru Lesotho.  He joined the Department of
Education at Rhodes University as a Research Assistant. He then joined the Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG).  From Cape Town he joined the World Bank funded Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) and then linked up with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung (HBS).  He then had a long association with the National Youth Development Agency. His work centers around the coordination of youth development in the country. The wicked challenges in youth development led to my current Master’s research on finding ways to curb the high learner dropout throughout the schooling system which leads to persistently high youth unemployment.

Ben de Souza is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Education at Rhodes University in South Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Education from University of Malawi and a Master of Education from Rhodes University. His research interests are in inclusion, disability law, public policy, teacher education and Education for Sustainable Development.

Dr. Helen Fox is a researcher and reflexive practitioner in the field of social-ecological systems. Her abiding interest is to continually deepen her philosophical, conceptual and transdisciplinary understanding of the human-ecological dynamic and how to achieve just, equitable and sustainable development outcomes and share this with others to empower positive action. She obtained her doctorate in Water Resource Science but have a keen interest in a wide range of self-sufficiency practices. Her passion is to employ effective learning processes to empower people to be beneficial presences for the earth – heart, hands and mind!