CRAIG PAXTON
Executive Director

Craig Paxton is the co-Founder and Executive Director of Axium Education Services. A six-week stint in a remote school in KwaZulu-Natal in 2002 convinced him of the dire need for educational innovation in rural South Africa. As a former chemical engineer with Sappi Southern Africa and client manager for MBendi Information Services, Paxton's private-sector background complements his passion for teaching excellence. He has taught in Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom, bringing a wealth of science and mathematics teaching experience and a unique perspective on how best practices from the developed world can be adapted to work in the rural classroom.

Paxton received a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town in 1998 and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the same institution four years later. He was a 2009 Fulbright Scholar and held a Reynolds Foundation Fellowship in Social Entrepreneurship at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, from which he graduated with a Masters degree in school leadership.

MICHELLE PAXTON
Financial Director

Michelle is the co-Founder and Financial Director of Axium Education. Her experiences traveling through southern Africa in 2003 left a deep impression of the hunger rural children have for learning. As a senior client trainer for Thomson-Reuters Financial Services for the past five years, she has won numerous honors for service excellence, including the prestigious CEO's Circle award. Michelle combines a strong financial background with a drive for serving students in the classroom. A qualified Mathematics teacher, she taught in the UK and South Africa prior to working for Thomson-Reuters.

Her education includes a Bachelor of Business Science (2001) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (2002) from the University of Cape Town.

CHUMA (Mfundo) NTOBONGWANA
Associate staff member

Mfundo attended Pinelands High School where he was an enthusiastic member of the Christian union and a number of sports teams. He has since represented Western Province at touch rugby and has developed a reputation as a committed and innovative coach. He is currently studying towards a degree in marketing and law.

Mfundo has a natural gift with young people, which he has put to good use as a facilitator and translator for Axium, making a dramatic impact on learning in the classroom.

AMY WHITING
English teacher

Amy Whiting studied Psychology at Rhodes University and then went overseas to travel and teach English in South Korea for a year. She found the teaching vocation became addictive and, upon returning to South Africa, Amy completed a PGCE while teaching at a language school in Cape Town. Once qualified for mainstream teaching she started at Camps Bay High School and taught English and Life Orientation. A burning desire to teach in a rural school lead Amy to the Transkei and Axium Education. She is excited about the prospect of teaching English and LEAD (the new life orientation programme) this year and looks forward to assisting Grade 10-12 learners work towards a bright future.

ISABELLE GIDDY
Mathematics teacher

Isabelle Giddy studied at UCT where she completed her Honours in Oceanography in 2011. She is currently studying for a PGCE (specialising in senior and FET phase maths) through UNISA. This year she has joined the Axium team to help with maths teaching and career guidance. She is living in the community and learning to speak isiXhosa. She believes that through education many of the issues that rural South Africa is facing can be solved. She very much enjoys going for walks to the beautiful beaches and has a little dog called Wizard.

MANYANANI MAWISA
Sports coordinator
Khan Academy after school programme facilitator

Having been involved with the Axium team since its inception in 2009, Manyanani is very familiar with Zithulele and the Axium students. He is an enthusiastic, cheerful individual and is currently in his 3rd year of study in Bcom Accounting. He coached cricket at Pinelands High School (where he completed his high schooling) for 4 years and recently obtained his Level 2 Certificate in coaching cricket through the Western Province Cricket Association. He also represented the Western Province Touch Rugby team at junior and senior level for a number of years. He is heading up the Axium sports programme and facilitating the Khan Academy after school programme. Manyanani is also taking advantage of being in Zithulele by learning to surf!