Keith Peterson is an experienced and passionate craftsman in wood and fabric. He has had over 40 years experience in making wooden toys, with many of his toys passing the test of time and children’s use. He loves wood and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of international wood species and how they are used in crafts. He is a member of several international wooden toy making groups, in which he has been mobilizing interest in, and resources for Sihlalo. He believes that wooden products for children reflect the way the world should be going, with high quality, sustainable, fun and educational products that are integral to children’s lives. Keith has experience in training apprentices, as well as teaching young adults with physical and intellectual disabilities, and mental health disorders, to successfully produce wooden and fabric items.

He has a passion for Japanese ceramics, and loves collecting pieces in unexpected places (like South African second hand shops). Throughout his life he has had a great deal of satisfaction from passing his skills and knowledge on to others. Keith contributes his expertise in woodwork and fabric to the Sihlalo training program as a volunteer.

Karen Grimmer

Karen divides her time between Adelaide, Australia, and Cape Town, South Africa.  She is an allied health epidemiologist, and holds an honorary professorial position at Stellenbosch University, Cape Town.  She consults to the World Health Organisation, and universities in Hong Kong and the Philippines.  She has recently been appointed Editor in Chief for two academic journals.  She maintains an active piano performance schedule, and loves Victorian houses, furniture and jewellery, antique Japanese ceramics, gardening and dogs.  She runs the day-to-day operations at Sihlalo, and is particularly committed to growing the woodwork and music training programs.

Denric Blaauw

Denric Blaauw, grew up in a small town in the Southern Cape. After He completed his BSc degree in Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science at the University of The Western Cape. He is passionate about education and empowering youth.  Soon after graduating, he obtained  a Bachelors Degree in Education and then a Higher Degree in Education.  Denric is an experienced software engineer who grew up through the struggle years. He has always worked hard to support young Africans to rise above adversity, through education and the arts. Through his commitment to youth empowerment, he joined a NPO in 2012 where he initiated an IT learner ship program, which trained young previously disadvantaged to become IT professionals. Leading IT companies in South Africa and abroad now employ most of these individuals.

Over the years, Denric has developed a love for music and has always strived to pass on opportunities to keep the culture of African music alive, through recognizing the importance of next generation instrument makers and players.

Quinette Louw

Quinette Louw is a South African Research Chair in Innovative Rehabilitation and Executive Head of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Stellenbosch University. Quinette has been an academic in South African universities for over 20 years and holds Bachelor’s degree (physiotherapy) from the University of the Western Cape and a masters and doctorate from the University of South Australia. She has published extensively in scientific journals, supervised more than one-hundred research candidates and presented her work at national and international conferences. Internationally, she is recognised for her research into contextually relevant rehabilitation approaches, understanding rehabilitation service capacity and evidence implementation within an African context.

WILSON JONA

Wilson Jona is the first graduate of the Sihlalo woodwork training program.  He is now an accomplished woodworker and workshop foreman.  He is responsible for training woodwork trainees, and coordinating workshop activities.

Kuda

Sihlalo Teacher – African drummer, marimba and mbira player, instrument maker, passionate about sharing African music and music history with others.

The Sihlalo Outreach woodwork training program has been operating since 2019.  Wilson (now workshop foreman and trainer) was the first Sihlalo graduate.  Seven young men have since completed different sections of the training.  In 2024 Sihlalo decided to focus on young women in the workshop, bringing in three young women trainees (Faith, Janae and Alice).  The girls were all referred to Sihlalo from the art department at Zonnebloem High School after matriculation.  Faith completed her introductory woodwork training program during 2023, and Alice and Janae completed it in March 2024.  All girls are learning woodwork part-time as they are also learning elsewhere. Faith is in the second year of a graphic arts degree, and Alice has just started her course in Art in Media.  Janae is a part time tour guide intern at The Long March to Freedom, Century City.   The girls have been learning so fast that they are now actively assisting the workshop staff to make Sihlalo products.  Their current challenges are measuring and cutting accurately, making mitred corners and learning about different woods.  They are planning to conduct community workshops later in the year to encourage other young women to take on woodwork projects.