Volunteers

CURRENTLY ON-SITE

Angela Larkan, Co-Founder and Executive Director

Growing up in South Africa, Angela Larkan witnessed the hardships and poverty experienced by many young South Africans.  In 2003, she began researching models of care for orphans of AIDS and, shortly thereafter, co-founded Thembanathi to raise funds and awareness for children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  After graduating from Wesleyan University in December 2005 with a degree in sociology, she continued researching and bringing awareness to South Africa’s escalating orphan situation.  In 2007, Angela established Thanda and the Thanda After-School Project, a unique program she designed to support orphans of AIDS and other vulnerable children on an immediate basis, while giving them the sustainable skills they need to prepare for their futures.

Tyler Howard, Managing Director

Tyler Howard has been involved with Thanda since 2005, when he helped plan and implement Thanda’s very first project, a summer program for orphans of AIDS at Holy Cross Children’s Home in Ginginglovu, South Africa.  Tyler has been fundraising, researching, and designing programs for Thanda ever since and was instrumental in establishing the Thanda After-School Project on-site.  Now, Tyler’s main roles include coordinating volunteers, staff, and programs for Thanda After-School, and handling administrative duties for both Thanda After-School and Thanda Zulu.  Tyler graduated from Colorado College in 2005 with a degree in comparative literature.  He will remain in South Africa until Thanda After-School is fully established and being run by the local community.

Citabria Stevens, Writer and Editor

Citabria (CiCi) Stevens began volunteering for Thanda in South Africa in October 2009.  Her responsibilities include keeping donors and Thanda Zulu customers informed about how and where their generous donations are being used at Thanda After-School; creating and maintaining Thanda’s two new blogs, Amathuba in Thanda and Thanda Zulu Talk; and helping design marketing and advertising materials for Thanda Zulu.  Prior to volunteering with Thanda, CiCi worked as an associate producer for CNN in New York.  She received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in communications with a minor in journalism from New York University in 2006.

Holly Buchanan, Sales and Marketing

Holly Buchanan helped launch Thanda After-School as the program’s Visual Arts Director in January 2008.  She taught art to local high school students from Thanda’s inception through May 2009.  Holly returned to South Africa for a second volunteer stint to manage Thanda Zulu, the fundraising portion of the project.  Now that Holly is back in the U.S. for the time being, she works closely with jewelry resellers and customers in the States, and also designs marketing materials for Thanda Zulu’s handmade products.  Holly received her degree in art and anthropology from Ithaca College.  Between college and coming to work for Thanda, Holly had a wide range of experiences, including teaching art in a girls’ correctional facility; working with health organizations to advocate personal and community development among Native American populations; and studying women’s reproductive health in India and Bhutan.  She enjoys her life of travel because it has allowed her to meet so many inspirational people.

Alyssa Peterson, Microfinance

Alyssa spent 15 months volunteering on-site at Thanda After-School, and since then, the Oklahoma State University junior has continued her enthusiastic fundraising efforts Stateside.  Alyssa recently procured funding to research microfinance in Peru, India, and South Africa to see if such a grassroots initiative would be appropriate and successful in Umtwalume.  When Alyssa first arrived in South Africa, she was initially only supposed to stay a few months over the summer to make a documentary about Thanda After-School.  But, after extending her stay twice, Alyssa became Thanda’s computer teacher and eventually trained Sandile Mbili to take over the program.  Alyssa is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology and would like to be a doctor one day.

FORMER VOLUNTEERS

Amy Altorfer
Evan Berding
Sarah Brenner
Maya Casagrande
Lyric Cox
Will Gordon
Ashley Grothe
Beau Hartline
Jeffery Howard
Reed Howard
Lee Jones
Rachel Kastner
Emilee Lehenbauer
Jon Leland
Marissa Lipovsky
Mike Murphy
Sara Murphy
John O’Neill
Olivia Seay
Tali Silberberg
Heather Smith
Alex Teitel
Travis Tindell
Zeb Zankel