Staff

Ché Bornheim is EMpower’s Programme Officer for South Africa, where she partners with community-based organisations and local changemakers to design and implement initiatives that strengthen youth development, particularly for girls and young women. Her work supports EMpower’s mission by bringing a strong local lens to capacity-building, grantmaking, and sustainable programme design—ensuring young people are active participants in shaping their futures.

Ché has more than six years of experience in social impact, corporate social investment (CSI), and grassroots development across South Africa and West Africa. She has led initiatives in education, youth employment, reproductive health, and enterprise development, working across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Her work is grounded in co-creation and systems-thinking, with a focus on creating long-term, community-led impact.

Ché holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology as well as a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) degree in Business Administration and completed advanced certifications in Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Sustainability. 

Outside of work, Ché is passionate about creative expression, slow travel, and early childhood development and sings in a choir. She can often be found teaching her daughter in nature, documenting everyday beauty through photography, or experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes rooted in cultural heritage.