In Matthew 25:35-36 & 40 Jesus says:
"When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.
I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me."
About Us
Photo: Two Afghan boys in an orphanage in Kabul
About Us
Two Afghan boys in an Orphanage in Kabul
In Matthew 25:35-36 & 40 Jesus says:
“When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.
Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”
Vision and Mission of CRN
Yolandé Korkie
CRN Director
Crisis Response Network could not have asked for a more suitable person to head up their activities than Yolandé Korkie. Both her professional qualifications and deep personal understanding which arises from life experiences make her eminently qualified.
Yolandé gained a Masters degree in Psychology and credentials as a Pastoral Counsellor. She used these as a lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State, and in counselling courses, specializing in support of parents with children with ADHD. Living outside of Bloemfontein, South Africa, with her teacher-husband and two children, she was also involved in equine therapy at their riding school.
Yolandé and her husband, Pierre, were involved in cross-cultural work for ten years before moving to Yemen in 2009 with their two children, where she was involved, among other things, with humanitarian work at a clinic for widows and orphans.
After five years in the country, experiencing the Arab Spring first-hand with their local friends, she and Pierre were captured by Al Qaeda in Yemen. She was released after eight months and then fought tirelessly for that of her soulmate, but this tragically ended with his death at the hands of his captors. Her book, 558 DAYS, which was also awarded the Andrew Murray Desmond Tutu book prize in 2017, vividly recounts the turmoil they endured as captives and brings perspective on how families of hostages experience and survive such a time.
Before staring CRN in 2019, Yolandé returned to lecturing while she intentionally pursued healing from the trauma they experienced, and was also in demand as a speaker, focusing on the theme of forgiveness and hostage survival. But the passion to support and encourage those in crises and a desire to equip fellow believers to be the aroma of Christ in the darkest places led her to leave the formal classroom and instead help lead individuals and organisations into much-needed deeds of compassion.
Yolandé enjoys spending time with her two young adult children and two cats, walking in nature, gardening and the two spoilings in life…good coffee and dark chocolate!
Theunis Scheepers
Board member
Theunis studied law (B.Iuris, University of the Free State, 1987) and worked as Clerk of the Court, State Prosecutor and Magistrate in the Department of Justice for 14 years. He left the Department of Justice in 1993 and since then Theunis worked in diverse communities in South Africa and abroad. His administrative, organizational inter-personal and communication skills were developed and sharpened during this time. Theunis has been working in the Non-profit environment as Operational Manager for several organizations since 2004, gaining experience in organizational development, strategic processes and leadership development.
Theunis is a qualified Business and Life Coach and also a Gallup Strengths Talent Coach since 2009. He coached several leaders and teams in the non-profit companies and organisations he served in. He enjoys working in a cross cultural context, where he can lead people in a facilitative way with the purpose to journey with them from stuck-ness to hope. He can maximize the potential in people and the level of efficiency in organizations and he enjoys bringing people together around common values, vision and goals.
Theunis and Magda married on 18 April 1987 and have two married children and a grandchild. They are currently involved in professional coaching, mentoring, facilitating and teaching where they present different business and life coaching options and family and community workshops to individuals, small businesses, organizations and faith communities.
Trish van der Merwe
CRN Board member
By God’s grace, Trish is a seasoned Educationist and Strategist who was able to equip, mentor and lead diverse and cross culture teams of educational professionals in a variety of fields to succeed through a merger and continuously changing legislative environments. She initiated and steered many innovations and strategies in a fast-growing college-sector. Trish is a servant leader and strongly driven by her values and was blessed to sustain particularly good relationships, collaboration and support from the public, colleagues and subordinates as a Deputy Principal in the public TVET college sector in Cape Town. Trish retired in 2017 from the public education platform after 34-years’ experience in the field of youth development. She volunteered and served on the Board of a youth development organisation (NGO), MOT, for 10 years.
Trish and her husband, Marnitz’s, interest and heart for missions and the persecuted body of Christ was ignited in 1995 and they have since been involved in a number of short-term outreaches in their private capacity and with Open Doors, as well as INcontext International. They have shown a special interest in member care and are involved with a few of those members active on the frontline of missions.
Currently, Trish is thriving in the second phase of her life journey. As a life coach, she is helping people with a lack of fulfilment to find new meaning and purpose in life. She is a soundboard for a variety of business-, ministry- or personal innovations of friends and people in the local community and nationally. Trish and Marnitz live in Melkbosstrand on the west coast, on the outskirts of Cape Town.
Alexandra Pollock
Social Media & Analytics
Alex began working with the CRN upon its inception and works primarily with the organisation’s social media and analytics. She also works with the CRN’s partner organisation, INcontext International within the communication department, with her primary responsibilities being writing and research.
After completing Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism, Communication Studies, and Spanish language/culture at Huntington University in Indiana, USA, Alex began work in the journalism field. She has spent the full of her professional career in the media space, acting as Sports Editor for a local newspaper before moving to South Africa to work for the CRN and INcontext.
Being part of the CRN team gives Alex the sense of fulfilment that she is using her talents and experience to help others and to see lives changed through the charitable work of the CRN. Outside of the office, Alex enjoys playing basketball, hiking, and visiting new coffee shops with friends.
Artelio Martins
Networking & Relationships
Being called out of the business environment by the Lord Jesus Christ, and plugged into serving the Kingdom of God, Artelio brings his business acumen and the love to serve people, as his contribution to serve people living in crisis around the world. There is a personal satisfaction and fulfilment when one uses his God given skills as a contribution for the betterment of others.
Being part of the CRN team has brought light to an invisible world that he never knew before, a world that is doom and gloom rather than glamorous. The desire to be part of a team that thrives to bring Hope and Joy to the rather, marginalised and forgotten people, and the Love for the Lord and His Kingdom, are the driving forces behind him, and is renewed every morning.
Being married to his wonderful God given wife, Lynn, and having two gorgeous daughters, Anna and Sarah, have emphasized the need that one has for of a healthy, balanced, secured and dignified family structure, one that is instituted by God, that all human being should have the right to have. This motivates him every day to continue to assist those in need in reaching for a dignified life.
Artelio loves playing Golf, spending time with people, coaching young businessman, photography, road trips and meeting new people, last but not least, spending quality time with his family.
Joy Hughes
Social Media & Communications
Working in the NPO and Christian organisation world for a number of years, Joy has grown as a leader and relationship builder to drive organisational change through the many opportunities afforded her.
She attained her Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Theology through Global University’s Cape Town campus, Cape Theological Seminary. She’s since worked in the church space as Kids church co-ordinator for a couple of years, spent some time as a volunteer at an NPO at Red Cross Children’s Hospital, worked as an au pair for a few years, before moving on to a Managing Editor role for a teen devotional app. All these opportunities have really helped to grow Joy’s creativity, resourcefulness, adaptability, and resilience to achieve and reach the goals set out for her.
In 2022 Joy joined the INcontext International team, where she was introduced to the Crisis Response Network through social media management. With her natural passion and heart towards helping others and seeing people reach their God-given potential, CRN could not have been a better fit.
Joy and her husband Gavin, live in Cape Town with their twin boys, Gabriel and Joel. She loves spending time with family and friends, enjoys the beach, long drives, and is a bit of a foodie.
Katelin van Zyl
Research & Writing
Katelin has been part of the CRN since 2020, just prior to its official launch. Her internship focused on assisting the CRN in the area of research, primarily for the CRN’s detailed country profiles. Learning in-depth information about different countries was a rich experience for her, and while the profiles are currently not a service the CRN is providing, it is something she felt she really benefited from.
Currently she is also on the writing-team for the communication department at INcontext International.
In addition to the incredible blessing of marrying Cobus at the end of 2022, Katelin was able to start a distance-learning Master’s offered by the University of London in 2022 that focuses specifically on refugee protection and forced migration issues. Forced migration is one of the results of numerous kinds of crises, and forced migrants have many times been the focus of the CRN’s work – through various forms of response and restoration interventions.
While the circumstances are often so devastating, the CRN has also exposed her to the hope that always remains even in times of crisis. And it’s amazing how the Lord uses his Body to show His love and care for people when they are willing and available to be His hands and feet.
The Fingerprint Logo
We often forget how uniquely and fearfully we have been created! Nothing demonstrates this more beautifully than our fingerprints.
- Fingerprints reflect that we have been created, each person unique in his hopes, dreams, talents, and character.
- Fingerprints can grow back if they are worn or badly burned, remain the same, even while you grow, and continue to represent you, even after death!
- Fingerprints represent the uniqueness of a person’s needs when a crisis comes their way and is an astounding reminder of mankind’s resilience.
- Fingerprints aren’t easily erased; in the same manner, God’s unfailing commitment to us cannot fade.
May this logo remind you of all this, and that the people involved in the CRN live as an extension of His hands.