Biography

Lesedi Gaonewe is a qualified Disaster Management professional and a passionate advocate for climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and community development. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Disaster Management from the University of the Free State.

Lesedi worked at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (National Office) as a Veldfire Management Intern for two years. In this role, she contributed to the implementation and enforcement of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act (Act 101 of 1998) and promoted Integrated Fire Management (IFM) across the country. Her responsibilities included supporting the establishment and amalgamation of Fire Protection Associations (FPAs), coordinating training workshops, and assisting with data management, reporting, and veldfire awareness campaigns.

Her work also involved collaboration with regional offices to strengthen fire prevention, improve community preparedness, and build capacity in veldfire management.

Following her internship, she served as a Data Capturer under the Forestry Livelihoods Directorate (Sub-Directorate: Greening and Livelihoods) within the same department, contributing to projects that promoted community greening.

Lesedi is a CorpsAfrica alumna who made a meaningful impact in her community, and she is excited to continue her journey with CorpsAfrica as a Volunteer Liaison.