Elthea Schlesinger

1985-1987: Journalist for the Chamber of Mines’ in-house publications in Gauteng.
1988-1989: Travelling in the Middle East mainly Israel, Turkey and Greece. Worked at several Kibbutzim and Moshavim, freelanced for Jerusalem Post in Israel. Worked at Travel Agency in Greece, backpacked through Turkey and cycled through Israel and the Netherlands.
1989-1991: Journalist for Sanlam regional HQ in Sandton, regional editor Gauteng HR-newsletter.
1991-1993 Co-manager of Mbeu Bookshops (5) in the former Venda.
1994-2005: Owning and farming avocados in the Levubu valley, Limpopo whilst raising 3 children.
2006-2012: Building houses and doing landscaping of gardens for myself, members of my family and for my children’s schools. Developed a water-harvesting system for Ridgeway College, did it’s garden landscaping, involved with design of school hall. One year of Kitchen-designing at Golden Choice kitchens in Shayandima, Venda.
2012-now: Freelance marketing and website content-writer, marketing and photography for: CSIR, Madi a Thavha mountain lodge in Limpopo. Lead Human Centred Design certificate-course with PASA through CSIR. Project management of CraftArt development programmes of the National Arts Council in Northern Limpopo with Madi a Thavha from 2013 until now; product development, production processes, marketing and practical workshops.

Interests:

Sustainable, eco-friendly design and development of people, things and landscapes. Recycling and up-cycling for functional CraftArt. Concerned about pollution, littering and water quality.
Writing, marketing and photography, art-photography.
Human behaviour and brain-science.
Indigenous trees, plants, peoples and farming.
Keen on outdoor nature sports like mountain cycling, canoeing and hiking.