Sue Smit
CEOSue Smit is one of the co-founders and current CEO of Acorn Foundation NPC. She has served on the Board as a Director since 2014 and was appointed as CEO in 2018. For as long as Sue can remember she wanted to be a humanitarian and make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities. Her passion is to end the suffering of the most forgotten among us. Sue’s lifetime goal is to make a positive impact in the world every day. Her biggest dream has been, and always will be, to play a significant role in ending poverty and finding sustainable solutions to hunger and malnutrition and social exclusion. A world where everyone can live with dignity, and in prosperity. Sue keeps the words of Amy Leigh Mercree close to her heart, “Kindness can transform someone's dark moment with a blaze of light. You will never know how much your caring matters. Make a difference for another today.”
Ingrid Sabatier
DirectorIngrid believes that the light of one candle can break the darkness - small actions can make the world a better place. She takes this notion one step further by believing that by combining all our individual candles, the impact of our actions has a much greater reach, not only with individuals but also within communities. At first, Ingrid assisted the Acorn Foundation with ad-hoc HR-related matters. It was during this time (2019), that she developed a deep need to become involved on a more personal level. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent national lockdown period, she started working more closely with the Foundation – assisting with the collection and distribution of food and other necessities. In 2021 Ingrid was invited by the Board to join as a Director, as her skills and knowledge was invaluable not only to Acorn Foundation, but also it’s beneficiaries. Ingrid thrives on the fact that she has the ability, means, knowledge and opportunity to make a difference daily. She believes in kindness, treating everyone with respect and adding value in everything she does.
Suzette Blake
DirectorIn 2018 Suzette was invited to attend a meeting of a volunteer service organisation and she immediately felt at home and knew that helping others, was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, if given the opportunity. She spent time working with and assisting CEO Sue Smit, who invited her to the meeting, and felt like she had become part of a family. A family that truly cared for the well-being of others. In the same year, Suzette applied for the position at Acorn Foundation. She believed that the Foundation’s scope of work aligned perfectly with her deepest passions: fighting hunger and caring for the vulnerable – children and the elderly. The position included fieldwork which gave her the opportunity to make a positive impact by spreading awareness of the foundation’s causes. She believes that during this time her leadership and relationship-building skills were significantly developed. After three years of dedicated service, Suzette was promoted to Director. Her motto in life is, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others".
