WHAT IS BOTTOMUP?

Bottomup is a youth organisation promoting socially-engaged youth leadership. We believe that youth participation in society is necessary for building a healthy democracy and that if we are to build a more egalitarian and sustainable society, then children and youth must play an active role as co-constructors in re-making the world.

Our role as an organisation is to support young leaders and to learn together with them. Our work involves exploring how political, cultural and economic systems shape society, developing a historical awareness of present social, economic and environmental problems, and strengthening skills for organising, mobilising and movement building.

We approach our work from an intersectional perspective, recognising that contemporary issues are interconnected and intricately woven into the social fabric of society, which presently allows wealth to accumulate in the hands of few people, while poverty and preventable suffering and illness concentrate among communities that are othered on the basis of race, class, gender and nationality. Consequently, we believe that socially just leadership requires an understanding of the interplay between various forms of injustice, to be able to be effective in dismantling oppressive systems and replacing them with systems that promote a more sustainable and nurturing society for all.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Bottomup (Section 21: 2007/034081/08) is a registered South African Non-Profit (062-289 NPO) and Section 18A approved Public Benefit Organisation (930033314).

our Board

Helene Rousseau

Helene is an experienced community social worker and primary education specialist. She has an interest in dialogical learning and the implementation of culturally responsive teaching. She loves curating resources and materials relevant to youth that can mediate between grasping difficult sociological concepts and furthering their knowledge to promote a better world. Helene held the role of Regional Safeguarding Lead on the Changing the Story project. She holds an B.Soc.Sci (honours) in Social Development and a Masters in Primary Education (UCT).

Ashley Visagie

Ashley is an education researcher and youth worker. He has been involved in youth work in various capacities in the church and the NGO sector since 2003. Ashley has taught in the higher education sector at the South African College of Applied Psychology and the School of Education at University of Cape Town. Ashley believes that critical education that is conscious of power is an enabling component in the struggle to reimagine and rebuild society in a manner that is more just, kind and nurturing. He holds a M.Ed in Policy & Leadership (UCT) and is a doctoral candidate at the UCT School of Education.

Hannah Carrim

Hannah Carrim is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Cape Town. She is interested in the ways that History is taught. To understand this question, she has been speaking to History teachers about the ways they think about and teach South Africa’s past. Alongside this, she is a History and English teacher with eight years of experience. She is involved in projects to support and advocate for new teachers, and promote history education.

Thandi Gamedze

Thandi is in the process of completing her PhD in the CAWE (Community Adult and Worker Education) chair at UJ’s Centre for Education Rights and Transformation. Her PhD research seeks to conceptualise churches as classrooms, exploring how (and what kind of) education happens and is negotiated within these spaces, and the wider implications of this. She currently works for an NGO called The Warehouse which journeys with churches in their practical and theological responses to injustice within their contexts. Thandi also volunteers as a facilitator with Bottomup, working with high school students in developing critical consciousness towards change. She is deeply committed to the work of critique and reimagining (as both action and reflection) towards a world that is just, nurturing, and kind.

Aylwyn Walsh

Aylwyn is Professor of Performance and Social Change at the University of Leeds, School of Performance and Cultural Industries, where she is director of postgraduate research studies, and co-convenes the Participation Research Group. Her book Prison Cultures maps performance, resistance and desire in women’s prisons (Intellect, 2019). She’s published on protest, participation and arts education, and worked collaboratively across the youth, criminal justice and climate justice sectors. She co-edited Remapping ‘Crisis’: A Guide to Athens (Zero Books, 2014). Aylwyn was the PI of the Changing The Story Project ‘Imagining Otherwise: transforming spaces of community through arts education’ with Bottomup as a key collaborator.

Tristan Pringle

Tristan Pringle is a Coach, Catalyst, and Thinking Partner helping people make a difference in social impact, non-profit, and corporate settings. As the host of the podcast “The Liminal Space” and a poet, he uses questions and storytelling to spark fresh ideas and create space for reflection. His method combines probing questions with narratives that guide clients through complex challenges and ignite insight. On “The Liminal Space,” he invites guests into the in-between of imagination and reality. A Chartered Accountant (SA), Tristan blends analytical rigour, creative problem-solving, and a dash of humour. He’s passionate about emerging leaders and leans into an Afrocentric approach rooted in community and shared responsibility. As a fractional CFO and financial consultant, he focuses on financial modelling, budgeting, and forecasting to help organisations reach their goals. Always curious and adaptable, Tristan thrives in collaborative environments, championing inclusive, humane cultures where his multidisciplinary expertise can truly shine.

Taahirah Hoosain

Youth Board Member

Taahirah is a photographer based in Cape Town, South Africa. Her work explores identity, culture, and self-expression through alternative photography techniques, blending traditional methods with innovative approaches to create captivating imagery. With three years of practical and theoretical experience from her diploma in photography (CPUT), she focuses on the transformative power of art to challenge societal norms and promote inclusivity. Her personal journey has clarified her creative direction, driving her to produce thought-provoking visuals that foster meaningful dialogues about personal and collective narratives. Taahirah is a youth-mobiliser at Bottomup, facilitating sessions with high school student councils, and also organises a critical photography club for youth (Lens4Change) together with Raeesha.

Siseko Jokazi

Youth Board Member

Siseko Okuhle Jokazi a student at the Centre for Creative Education is the founder of the Siseko Jokazi Foundation, driving education and outreach through programs like a reading club, homework program and a partnership with the Ubuntu Mathematics Institute. As a Bottom Up Mobiliser, he facilitates RCL workshops, empowering high school learners. Passionate about social justice, Siseko’s advocacy and public speaking earned him awards from the Western Cape Parliament and Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor. A former Child Government Monitor, he inspires transformative change.