who are we?

The founders of Sisiza-Ukusiza Pty Ltd – We help to help – South Africa are Maarten Bollen and his wife Anke. Both travelled since 1990 to South Africa and Anke was even a few years earlier in Pretoria for her internship during her studies at the HTS – road and water engineering. And when you have been travelling so often to this fascinating country, you get addicted to it, or as South Africans will tell you:

... “Once Africa is in your blood and in your vessels it will never leave you alone” …

Maarten worked for several years in social healthcare and eventually as production manager for several major theater companies and festivals in the Netherlands. In 2007 both traveled for Anke’s work for RHDHV – Netherlands to South Africa and Maarten became involved in one of the NGO’s in the East Rand. First as a volunteer working to cover books and the creation of the school library, but over the years, slowly increasing in other parts of the organisation. Anke is still working for the RHDHV engineering company in South Africa.

Since 2013, Maarten launched SISIZA UKUSIZA – We help to help – the company that works in close cooperation with the NGO’s in the region and the Youth Development Project, in which we try to bring young people through work experience and internship back into the workforce. The volunteer program for the NGO’s is also organised by Sisiza-Ukusiza.

In April 2020, we open our Bed, Book & Breakfast in the vibrant area Melville (Johannesburg). The B&B is a regular tourist accommodation but also the place where volunteers, students and overnight guests meet after work. Maarten, is the “host” for our guests, students and volunteers, and the coach for the youth of the Tsakane – KwaThema township.