Ancha – Questioning Mind
I recently spoke to another young Upcycler — someone who truly made me wish I was young again. During our conversation, I found myself thinking how much I admire her bravery and daringness at her age.
She is small. She is colourful. She is bold. She is deep. She seems quiet until you get to know her. Deep inside, she says she still feels like a 16-year-old. I love her creative outfits — the kind that make you stop and think, “I’ve never seen that before… how? where?” Her make-up too — honestly, if only she could share that gift with me.
My first question was simple: Tell me something about yourself.
Her answer: “I stumble with boldness, make mistakes, and grow from it.”
Her name is Ancha, a 22-year-old who grew up in Claremont, where she lived for over 21 years. As a child, she had many ideas about what career she might follow.
“It often changed,” she said. “I thought of becoming a scientist, then a psychologist… I always felt like I wanted to solve problems and find new ways to get things done.” What remained constant was her desire to work with people — assistance, healing.
After matric, Ancha chose to take a gap year. “I wanted to get street knowledge. I wanted to know the world,” she explained. Not long after, she joined Upcycle as a volunteer, having heard about the organisation through a friend. It was a space where she could learn and grow — “an environment that didn’t feel too intense,” as she put it.
She volunteered wherever help was needed, describing herself as an “everything assistant.” From cleaning and admin to organising and shop assisting, she did it all. She later received a learnership — a work-readiness programme through You Economy — and continued working at Upcycle.
During our conversation, Ancha shared that she would love to move into a role where she can teach, train, or facilitate. “I love to learn and share my knowledge,” she said. Outside of work, she tutors maths, plans children’s events, writes and performs poetry, does waitering work from time to time, and enjoys taking photos and videos — “documenting life,” as she calls it.
Having worked closely with Ancha over the past few months, I can confidently say she’s a ball of energy — calm, steady, and seemingly endless. Physical work doesn’t get her down; in fact, she thrives on it. She loves hard labour and approaches it with enthusiasm. There’s also a deep compassion in her — a genuine care for people that you can both see and feel.
Ancha loves to ask questions — often out of the blue.
“So Rudy, I’ve been meaning to ask, if you don’t mind, what’s your take on…?”
She wants to know your opinions, your experiences, how you’ve handled things, how situations made you feel. Her questions often leave me thinking, “Hmm, I’ve never looked at it that way.” She’s a natural conversationalist.
When I asked Ancha what her favourite thing about Upcycle is, her answer came without hesitation: the people.
“It’s always the good-hearted,” she said.
I then asked what she hopes to do with what she’s learned at Upcycle — and her response stopped me in my tracks. If I ever want to be a boss or leader, this is exactly how I’d want people to feel.
“Winnie leads with her heart,” she said. “I would like to build another Upcycle and run it just like Winnie.”
Ancha clearly has a deep admiration for Winnie’s heart — and it’s incredibly moving to witness.
“Despite how hard and crazy life can be, Upcycle made it easy for me to just be,” she shared. “Never shut off your heart to exist. I’d like to build a place, a community, just like Upcycle.”
She went on to describe Upcycle as a place of opportunity.
“Know who you are and where you’re headed, and Upcycle may just have the people and/or tools to help you get there.” To her, Upcycle is a step on a wider journey towards success.
“The world is very colourful,” Ancha said, “and Upcycle helps you see the colours through its lens.”
I ended by asking if she had a message for other young people.
She smiled and said, “I feel like this whole conversation was my message.”