District Governor - Koekie Makunyane-Quashie
Koekie Loretta Angela Makunyane-Quashie was born at Orlando West Soweto, South Africa on 2nd October 1956. She lived in Soweto with her parents until 1962 when they relocated to the then Swaziland because of apartheid. She has lived, schooled, and worked in Eswatini since then and is a LiSwati
She is married to Kobla Quashie, a Past District Governor of this district and they have two sons, Fui and Tsidiso. Fui is an auditor, married and lives in Eswatini with his wife and two children, a boy and a girl while Tsidiso is an attorney living in South Africa.
Koekie attended the University of Botswana and Swaziland where she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree programme on the Botswana campus in 1980. She also holds a Post-Graduate diploma in education from the same university; on graduation she taught at primary and high schools in Manzini. She is also a holder of a Montessori Early Childhood Certificate from the LMC and also a certificate from Wits University on Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL).
As a proud Soweton, Koekie is fluent in 8 of the 11 South African languages which landed her a position as a translator in the Foreign Broadcasting Service of the US Embassy in 1987 in Mbabane Swaziland. She resigned this position in 1990 to return to teaching and co-founded the now largest private school in Manzini, Enjabulweni Private School in 1991 with 3 other female friends. In 1994, Koekie founded her own school Inkhanyeti School where she is still the managing director. Inkhanyeti School is a CIE- based school which runs from foundation phase to high school and is based in Manzini.
Koekie is also engaged in the hospitality sector and operates a boutique hotel and restaurant with conferencing facilities in Manzini. She is on the board of the Eswatini Tourism Authority Accommodation Grading Committee and also sits on the board of other companies engaged in farming and real estate.
Koekie was a Rotary Ann from 1982 to 2003 and has also been President of the Anns’ Club of the Rotary Club of Manzini. When the Rotarians learnt of the feeding scheme she had single-handedly started and was running in a school for the very disadvantaged, she was invited and inducted into the Rotary Club of Manzini in 2003 and became the Club President in 2012. She has served in almost all leadership positions in the club.
She has been involved in district work since 2004 when her husband was appointed the DGNN of the then district 9250 and became DG Ann in 2007. She has also served on various district committees such as Youth Exchange, Friendship Exchange and District Governor Selection Committee.
Koekie is a Paul Harris Fellow.