Romy Stander serves as director and co-founder of the NGO Water for the Future, established in 2017. With a professional foundation in managing expansive interior design initiatives for global blue-chip firms, she harbors a deep enthusiasm for incorporating artisanal African crafts. Stander prioritizes tracing the origins of materials and their positive effects on artisans, local communities, and the ecosystem. In 2016, Nando’s founders engaged her to elevate employee and visitor experiences via thoughtful enhancement projects tied to the company’s community initiatives in Mozambique. Her grassroots methodology informs her dedicated, comprehensive strategy for restoring the Jukskei River’s emergence point adjacent to Nando’s renowned Central Kitchen headquarters, transforming it into a collaborative endeavor.
