Maurita Weissenberg, executive director, Shine Centre, Wynberg
As founder of the first Shine Centre in 2000 and as co-founder and director of Shine Literacy since 2007, it has been a privilege to lead this organisation and work alongside so many passionate and committed people.
Inevitably, I have been thinking about my succession and opportunity for growth for Shine Literacy for a while. I first raised this with the board in 2019 but committed to staying on during the disruption caused by Covid-19. Therefore, I strongly felt that now is a good time for new leadership at Shine Literacy.
As an organisation, we have worked consistently to ensure Shine Literacy has strong systems and an ethos that holds the vision and drives the mission. This, together with a committed and active board, strong governance and a healthy reserve give me confidence that Shine Literacy is in a strong position to achieve its 2025 vision. This will see the organisation working with youth as reading partners, grow the Shine Literacy Hour (SLH) franchises while also working in regions that need the support.
It has been an honour to be part of the literacy community in South Africa and to witness the incredible citizenship of thousands of volunteers, funders, and stakeholders who understand that for our country to thrive we need a nation of readers.
I am working with the Shine Literacy board and senior management team to carefully plan and manage the leadership transition and have committed to fully supporting my successor.
I intend to continue working in the South African literacy community.