WARAWADEE ‘EED’ SUKONPONGPAO-HARBICH

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT – SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR

Warawadee Sukonpongpao-Harbich, known as Eed, was born in Bangkok, Thailand, and moved to the UK at the age of 15 to further her education, earning a BA in multimedia and a master’s in hypermedia from the University of Westminster, London. In 1999, she moved to Cape Town, where she still lives with her husband and their twin daughters. The couple have been running a property management and development company for the past 18 years, but a few years ago Eed felt compelled to take on another project.

‘The rate of gender-based violence and femicide [GBVF] in South Africa is just alarming,’ she says. ‘We cannot continue this way.

I noticed that a lot of organisations were fighting GBV by educating girls, signing petitions, marching in the streets. These acts are worthwhile and much needed. But we are tackling the problem from the wrong end in the GBVF context. Only by focusing on and educating our boys and men do we have a chance to combat the problem.’

Eed had the idea of starting the Heroes Academy South Africa in 2019, but the pandemic put a spanner in the works. She finally registered the organisation in March 2021. ‘We aim to develop character and build skills in male school students,’ she says. ‘The aim is to deconstruct tenets of toxic masculinity and promote an understanding of positive masculinity. Our team works with these boys and young men through coaching and mentoring to inspire them to achieve their full potential.’

She jumped into her new venture headfirst, so there wasn’t a gradual transition. ‘There were a lot of adjustments for my husband and children, as I have a crazy work schedule.’

A year in, things are going really well at Heroes Academy. The team concluded a pilot programme in Dunoon, Bonteheuwel and Lavender Hill with great success. Starting in March, they’ll be running a full after-school and Saturday programme. Eed plans to spend time raising funds and developing a curriculum for boys in Grades 4 and 9. She wishes she had more than 24 hours in a day.

Only by focusing on and educating our boys and men do we have a chance to combat the problem.

Eed Sukonpongpao-Harbich, 50, took on a second venture a couple of years ago despite an already packed work schedule. Her advice for someone who wants to make a change? ‘Find your “why”. It’s all about purpose.’