THE Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife’s (Crow) welcomed its newest member to its wildlife team; fundraising manager, Masechaba Mthembu.
Masechaba possesses a natural flair for fundraising and marketing, having worked in the industry for over 10 years within the non-profit organisation (NPO) sector. She is excited to join an organisation that is doing commendable work, not only for the environment but for its animals as well.
The Yellowwood Park resident graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She has worked in fundraising and marketing since 2010 and recently completed her honours in marketing and management.
It was an advert in the newspaper for a six-month fundraising training course that sparked her interest in this industry. She shared that it was at that moment that she was excited about learning about this line of work. The opportunity came at a time where she questioned her purpose and her ‘bottom line’ in life as she wanted to make an impact in people’s lives.
Masechaba came out top of her class and was placed in three NGOs. “It was a very exciting experience for me. I love being busy and doing something positive. I felt like I had found my ‘bottom line’ and I never looked back,” she said.
Her main career highlight has been working at Black Umbrellas which falls under the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation.
“To work for a national organisation which with a huge impact, in the same building where the president comes and goes was definitely a highlight for me.
“The main challenge in the work that I do is that people look at you when there is no money. You’re always under pressure to get money in. But to make money, you need to spend money. It’s a catch-22. In order to fundraise you need to market the organisation and that needs money.”
She said that the love for what she does is directly linked to working with people who are passionate about what their organisation stands for.
“I am always working with people who are passionate about what they do and it gives me such a fresh perspective on the work they do as well as what matters most to them. I could fundraise anything but their passion is my driving force. In order for me to be able to say that I’m successful is when those people get to keep their jobs and have a sustainable structure to work in. To also be able to deliver the best service as an organisation makes what I do worthwhile,” she said.
With just over a month in her new position, Masechaba is currently working on proposals as well as fundraising strategies for Crow. Her first day was on Monday, 12 April and she shared that the experience has been both a learning curve and an exciting new challenge.
“It’s important to always bear in mind that some of the problems and injuries that animals experience are a result of the things that we do as humans. We need to co-exist with animals harmoniously. We need each other. I encourage the public to support Crow because they are a driving force behind this harmonious existence.”
