Data  Collectors

Ncumisa Somdyala

Nontsindiso Somgidi

Beauty Nomtatha Xabe

Ntombovuyo Mkuti

Yandiswa Thutsheni

Khanyiswa Mvula

Vuyiswa Nthsontsho

Nomvuzo Fandesi

DriverS

Akhona Mncunukelwa

Masaka Mzuzeni

Vakele Khuzani

Research  Coordinator

 Linnea  Stansert  Katzen

Linnea Stansert Katzen is from Gothenburg, Sweden. She studied International Public Health at Gothenburg University, and received her master's degree in International Development and Management at Lund University. She has been working for Philani since 2012, and has been coordinating the Zithulele Research Projects since 2013. She was based in Zithulele from 2011 to 2013 and has since been the off-site coordinator for the projects. She is currently working to complete her PhD at Stellenbosch University, in which she is evaluating data from the Zithulele Research projects.​

Research  SUpervisors

Elaine  Dippenaar

Elaine Dippenaar is from Pretoria, South Africa. After completing her Undergraduate and Masters degrees in Theology from the University of Pretoria, she obtained another Masters degree in Gender and Health Studies from the University of Stellenbosch. She has been working in the Non-Profit field in various capacities since 2012 and joined the Zithulele Research Team in April 2017. She is tasked with managing the research logistics for the ZiMBA and ZiBFUS studies as well as heading up the new ECSS study. 

​

Sofia  Rubertsson

Sofia Rubertsson is from Sweden and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a focus on gender from University of California, Berkeley and Lund University. Continuing her academic path at Lund University, she has focused her master´s degree in International Development and Management on infant feeding practices. Aiming at understanding the premature introduction of solids in the Eastern Cape. Sofia worked and conducted her research at Zithulele Research Center between 2016 and 2017.

​

---

Annamaria nagy

Annamária is a passionate child protection professional. For over 8 years, she has been working on projects targeting child development and well-being with various grassroots organisations and international NGOs. She is deeply committed that the most powerful contribution one can offer is to support young people to access knowledge and resources in order to transform their own lives. Annamária took part in the Philani research projects from 2014 to 2015.

Venetia  Baker

Venetia Baker is from San Francisco, California.  She first came to South Africa in 2011 to study at UCT. After completing her degree in sociology from UC, Santa Cruz, she moved back to South Africa and worked for NGOs in the Eastern Cape. She worked with the data collectors on a day-to-day logistics and data collection from 2014-2015. She has recently obtained her masters degree in Public Health. 


​

Christina  Laurenzi

Christina Laurenzi is from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, and came to South Africa in 2013 to manage the Zithulele Birth Follow-Up Study as part of the yearlong ReachOut 1956 Fellowship. She has worked on maternal health and early child health and development research projects in the Eastern Cape, Kenya, and Mozambique. Christina has a bachelor's degree in Politics and Global Health from Princeton University and a master's in African Studies from Oxford University. She is currently pursuing her PhD at Stellenbosch University. 
​

---