Who are we?
Wie is die FSA?
FSA Youth Exchange has three offices. Two in South Africa and one in Germany.
FSA is an abbreviation for Friends of South Africa (Freundeskreis für Südafrika). The FSA Youth Exchange organizes the exchange of high school students between South Africa and Germany and also between Germany and South Africa.
FSA Youth Exchange was founded by Lodie de Jager in 1996. Lodie was a German school teacher in the Free State from 1984. The FSA has its roots in the tours and exchange visits he arranged for his school learners. He was stationed in Germany from 1991 until 1996 where he was responsible for both sides of the exchange programme. Excluding participants pre 1996, approximately 10 000 students took part in our programs between South Africa/Germany and Germany/South Africa.
The FSA truely is Lodie’s legacy.
Boksburg office (SA)
Suzanne Baker joined the FSA in 2007. She coordinates the North South programme and is responsible for the German students during their placements with South African host families.
Suzanne is married and has adult children and 2 grandchildren. They love animals and are forever adopting rescue pets. They were involved in raising puppies for the SA Guidedog Association for the Blind for 10 years.
She trained in the fields of social work and psychology. Suzanne (centre on photo) loves animals and nature and has a passion for wildlife conservation. She strongly believes that people must live their dreams as taught by our mentor and friend Lodie de Jager.
Naboomspruit office (SA)
Alta Botes coordinates the South North programme for South African students visiting Germany from our office in the Limpopo province. Alta joined the FSA in May 2011. She is married and has an adult son.
She is a keen reader and and has a background psychology. Healthy eating habits, regular exercise and living a balanced life are important to her. When she gets time she loves to travel to Europe. Alta (left on photo) believes in the strength that young people have in reaching their full potential and always advocates that they must believe that they can achieve success in life.
Bielefeld office (DE)
Petra Jacobi (right on photo) joined the FSA when she met the high school teacher and mentor Lodie de Jager in Pretoria in the beginning of 1998. She has two adult children. Before she joined the FSA she had worked 16 years as medical technical assistant. Petra is responsible to search, to select and to prepare German host families for the South African students. She takes care of the South African students while they are with their host families in Germany.
Vice versa Petra prepares the German students for their exchange to South Africa. Petra loves skiing in the Alps, loves the nature and animals, loves taking photos, loves South Africa and loves travelling whenever she can. The German office has assistants who coordinate various different tasks. Petra’s motto is: ‘Fahre in die Welt hinaus. Sie ist fantastischer als jeder Traum.’ ‘Go out into the world. She is more fantastic than any dream.’ – Ray Bradbury
Impressum:
Suzanne Baker
FSA Youth Exchange North South Programme Leader
email: suzanne(@)fsa-youthexchange.co.za
Alta Botes
FSA Youth Exchange South North Programme Leader
Tel: +27 14 743 1081
email: admin(@)fsa-youthexchange.co.za
Petra Jacobi (Germany)
FSA Youth Exchange German Programme Leader
email: petra(@)fsa-youthexchange.de
