GAUTENG
Meet our team:
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Jaco van Schalkwyk
Loraine van Schalkwyk
Willie Sapsford
Thando Malepe
Kingsley Tloubatla
Fatima Solomons
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Jaco van Schalkwyk - Dad, Founder, Director & CEO
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After starting his career in the financial and then corporate fields, Jaco moved into the NGO sector in 2001. Jaco spent the majority of that time managing a non profit in JHB where he experienced the impact of absent fathers on a daily basis. Despite the invaluable experience he picked up in hands-on involvement with communities and the NGO sector in general, his passion for the fatherless just grew stronger and stronger.
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Jaco is the Dad and Founder of the Character Company and believes that only through intentional MENtorship and establishing a culture of MENtorship in South Africa will we be able to change the current culture of violence, corruption and abuse.
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Jaco is married to his amazing wife Loraine and the proud dad of 3 daughters. He is passionate about Jesus and MENtorship.
Loraine van Schalkwyk - Social Worker
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Loraine van Schalkwyk grew up in Klerksdorp and studied at the University of Potchefstroom, earning a degree in Social work. She has been practising as a Social Worker and Addiction Treatment specialist professionally since 1995.
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Although Loraine specialised in the field of addiction therapy, she is also passionate about family counselling and life-skills training for children and teenagers. She has an adventurous spirit, enjoys the outdoors and have a big appreciation for nature.
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She is currently employed as TCC’s full time Social Worker and her main responsibility is the support of single mothers on our programme. Loraine is registered as a member of the South African Council for Social Service Professions.
Willie Sapsford- TCC Operations
Willie was born and raised in Bloemfontein in the Free State. He matriculated in 2007 and completed his B.Sc. Quantity Surveying degree in 2011 at the University of the Free State.
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He moved to Johannesburg in 2012 and joined The Character Company in November 2013 as a volunteer, and later on as Assistant Operations Manager.
In 2018 he moved to Taiwan to work for an outdoor education program in Taipei but returned to South Africa early in 2019 to join The Character Company full time as Operations Manager.
He is a community oriented individual and enjoys giving back and investing into the lives of others to help them develop their potential.
Willie is passionate about adventure sports and the outdoors and using outdoor activities as a vehicle to make a difference. He holds a Generic Adventure Site Guide Qualification, a Level 3 First Aid Certificate and is a certified PMBIA Level 1 Mountain Bike Instructor, and a certified MDT Wall Climbing Supervisor.
Thando Malepe - TCC MENtorship Programs
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Thando has a B.Com degree in Accounting, but a heart for community development. He is determined to change his community for the better, whether it’s running a small children’s ministry every Saturday or the proactive work he does organizing wheelchairs for those in need in his community.
He is an active member of Network of Caring and is working to procure more community members. He has a quiet demeanour and compassionate heart. He is enthusiastic and always helpful, willing to be accountable and takes instruction or guidance with an open heart. Thando is our MENtor Intake Coordinator and an active MENtor in the Johannesburg North Region.
Kingsley Tloubatla - MENtor Intake Coordinator & Camp Admin
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Kingsley has worked most of his life in the Marketing Industry he possess quite a number of skills in the fields of Sales and Marketing, Information Technology and the Entertainment Industry, he has worked as Technical Support Consultant for the City of Johannesburg and also for a Pharmaceutical company. He then spent most of his work life as a Sales Rep and brand ambassador for Mobicel SA and Samsung but however, he is currently freelancing.
He was born and raised in the South of Johannesburg in Soweto. He is part of a family of five siblings, being the only son to his parents. Having an absent father was tough growing up, having to discover everything by himself, his identity and becoming a good man. He is a God fearing Christian and believes that having an intimate and consistent relationship with God should be a lifestyle for everyone.
Fatima Solomons - Office Administrator
Born and raised on the West Rand and studied at Southern Business School (SBS), earning a Honors Degree and a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration majoring in Human Resource Management. She possesses a certificate in Basic Ambulance Assistance from Impact Emergency Technologies Fire.
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She is a single parent of two beautiful kids, a boy and a girl. She has previously worked in contact with boys from Girls and Boys Town-Magaliesburg which she felt in love with helping youth and helping them to be good men.