Who is The Recovery Foundation?
Directors, Roberto Ferreira, Raymond Maboe, Olivia Troina and Brendan van Staaden, bring their own unique dimensions to The Recovery Foundation. Together they are a formidable team who are committed to breaking the stigma associated with mental health and substance abuse along with their passion to helping people reintegrate and reconnect with society.
The Recovery Foundation Team is driven by the importance of connection and purpose. We believe that, through creating healthy environments, encouraging meaningful relationships, and applying sport as a spiritual practice, we offer people new ways of reconnecting, revitalising and reintegrating into their social and familial structures.
Adrienne Dodds – Honorary Director (1971 – 2020)
Ady was a founding member of The Recovery Foundation, which was formed in July 2017. Ady worked tirelessly for over a decade to help others, Ady had a passion for helping those who are unable to afford substance abuse treatment.
Adrienne added value to The Recovery Foundation and to many other organizations and individuals with her vast knowledge of recovery processes and her extensive research on the matter of addiction. Adrienne nurtured strong personal and professional relationships through the cause of recovery from addiction and has facilitated workshops on addiction
Adrienne believed that long-term treatment works and that for far too long the stigma of addiction has prevented people from reaching out and asking for help. Her areas of special interest are dual-diagnosis clients and women in recovery. The people she would love to work with the most are those who use drugs and are desperate for help.
Adrienne strongly believed in The Recovery Foundation. She had hoped that with the right funding, the organization may provide opportunities to these people to get treatment, and long-term treatment. The organization grew every year, with Ady’s help, however, Ady unfortunately did not get to see the full extent that The Recovery Foundation could achieve and see the combined dreams of the founders be realized through this NPO.
We at The Recovery Foundation will continue to work tirelessly to achieve the goals set out by its founders, and will continue to do so in memory of Ady, a true example and soldier in the fight against addiction.
Roberto Ferreira
Roberto Ferreira is an addictions specialist and a director at The Recovery Foundation. He has completed his BA degree in counselling psychology through Unisa and is currently studying a BCOM honours in sports management at the university of Johannesburg. Roberto has years of practical experience working with people affected by addiction and with addicts. He founded The Recovery Foundation and is the face of the organisation.
Roberto is dedicated to furthering the understanding and treatment of addiction. He is committed to changing public opinion on the nature of addiction in the hope of breaking the stigma attached to addicts and addiction. Roberto considers himself an activist towards equal rights among all people.
Roberto’s vision, together with his studies, is to change public opinion on what addiction is – both for substance abusers and non-substance abusers – and to support this with thorough research and empirical knowledge. He also is the director and founder of a facility in Hyde Park, called Sandhurst Manor. His goal is to make treatment options more accessible, especially to those who cannot afford access to meaningful abstinent and non-abstinent-based treatment options.
Other than his passion for his studies, Roberto also devotes his time to sports and educating others about recovery from addiction. On a regular basis, he speaks on different media platforms, such as radio, print and television, about addiction and its realities. Roberto also exhibits a serious enthusiasm for sports. He is a keen cyclist and footballer, and uses these sports to raise awareness and knowledge about recovery from addiction. He also leverages these sports to raise funds for people who do not have access to care and treatment.
Roberto is learning to integrate the principles of abstinence-based treatment together with harm reduction methodologies, with the aim of helping others to find a purpose in their own lives, regardless of if they are abstinent or not.
Before all else, we are all human, and deserve to be treated as such.
Raymond Maboe
Raymond Maboe is a qualified CA (SA) who is currently studying for his LLB through UNISA. Raymond has extensive experience in the financial field. He launched as an entrepreneur in January 2019 after a career of more than 11 years in a wide range of roles across Anglo American Platinum, BMW South Africa and Nokeng Fluorspar Mine. He is currently an equity investor in a communications company and is starting up a financial consulting firm that assists SMMEs. He is also the chairperson of the Platinum Incubator, an incubator based in Rustenburg that aims to assist SMME’s in mineral beneficiation.
One of the key skills he has acquired during his career is the ability to successfully implement and manage new accounting systems and procedures. He has a proactive management style with highly developed communication skills and is diligent in maintaining and updating his skills.
Raymond is committed to helping those in need. This commitment led to his involvement with The Recovery Foundation. Raymond and Roberto were having a passionate discussion about recovery from addiction when Raymond realised that he wanted to assist with the governance and financial management for The Recovery Foundation. This felt natural to Raymond as he has been involved with non-profit organisations from a young age. During his childhood, Raymond’s mother fostered and grew his desire to help others who have limited means and knowledge with which to help themselves.
South Africa is facing a serious challenge with regards to addictive substances – similar to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the early 2000s. Raymond believes that we must all be part of the solution and do our best to eradicate addiction. In addition to striving to change the world, Raymond is also an avid music lover who enjoys live music concerts as well as appreciating the outdoors.
Brendan James Van Staaden
I was born and educated in Johannesburg South Africa, studied as a Rotary International Youth Exchange Student in Oklahoma USA, and completed my advanced mathematics and physics diploma at The University of Johannesburg before embarking on a career in technology Sales and Marketing.
I specialized in Telecommunications with Philips Telecommunication and Data Systems in 1991 and have witnessed the evolution and convergence of voice and data technologies that have brought us to where we are today in modern work and security.
My entrepreneurial spirit has allowed me to build beautiful companies, such as Inter-Active Technologies (founded in 1999), which, with the help of our fantastic people, we managed to grow to the second largest domestic outsourced customer contact centre in South Africa in less than five years.
Today my hope is to use my years of experience to make a difference in how people are valued and how I can help the human factor remain valid as the critical enabler in any life and business transaction.
Through applying Sport as a Spiritual Practice, and associating myself with like-minded professionals in mental wellness, my life goal is to help people who suffer with Mental Health issues and chemical dependency to overcome their challenges, recover, and where required, reintegrate as functional and responsible members of society. To give our new generation of pressured youth, a meaningful direction in navigating life on life’s terms and helping maintain their Spiritual and Mental well-being.
As a sportsman, I have conquered many meaningful challenges such as Summitting Kilimanjaro in 2013 and racing to and 11th Grand Master placing in the 2016 ABSA Cape Epic mountain bike race. I am an avid music enthusiast, play the Bagpipes and enjoy writing and creating my own poetry.
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