Joris, Siyabonga and Janine ...ThinkQuest Team C0110296
Drop us an e-mail!: [autism@uncraft.org]

We've come a long way together - from strangers to friends to web pals.

Hi! We're three high school students from The Netherlands, South Africa and Singapore.

On this project, Joris is the programmer/ web-designer, Siyabonga is the artist and Janine is the researcher-writer/ Flash developer.

Despite living in three different time zones, on three different continents, we were brought together by one common thread - the desire to make a difference. Our site was created to empower, inspire and educate. We believe that teens like us can impact the mindsets of our community and of our friends positively. Most of all, our team is living proof that learning and the Internet need not exclude individuals who are different.

The Students

Joris Machielse, 19, graduated from high school in The Netherlands, mid-2001. He is an avid photographer and an intrepid adventurer; Joris took a month's break off this project to tour European cities with his friends. Through his road-trip, he gained much exposure, expanded his photographic gallery, and increased his repertoire of technical skills through dilligent studying of programming guidebooks while on the road. Joris also runs his own web-design business: Uncraft Creative Internet Solutions [joris@uncraft.org]

Siyabonga Dangwane, 14, is a mentally challenged student living in an impoverished township in South Africa. Although he has never interacted with computers or the Internet before, Siyabonga had much to contribute to the site, in the form of his unique artwork and personal life story and pictures. Siyabonga's hardworking and cheerful nature - in spite of his struggles - has been an inspiration to us all. [e-mail through Robin michaelm@iafrica.com]

Janine Yeo, 17, is currently schooling at a local junior college in Singapore under a science course. She attributes her passion for this project to her eye-opening experiences at the local autism resource centre, where she volunteers regularly. In her spare time, Janine edits for her school magazine and is also a zealous bird fancier. Janine does professional web and multimedia projects for overseas and local organisations, including USA television network PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) and The Stage Club Singapore, among others. [janinvie@singnet.com.sg]

The Coaches

Paul Buying, Paul Buying is an Artificial Intelligence graduate of Amsterdam University, where he studied logic and natural language processing. He runs Division by Zero, a software company that develops statistical client-server applications to support general management decisions. He has given much-needed input on the technical aspects of this site. [paul@divisionbyzero.nl]

Robin Opperman, South Africa, is Head of Art and Technology at Ningizimu School for the Severely Mentally Handicapped. Throughout this project, he has been acting as the bridge between Siyabonga and the team: translating, facilitating and scanning. He is an amazing man, and has been a personal friend of Jason and Janine since 1999, when he first pushed for the entry of his students into ThinkQuest We have seen Robin doing so much for his students: aggressively driving his school's A4 project (art exhibition), initiating the technology program for his students, breaking down barriers to the Internet. His tireless commitment to improving the lives of his students, as well as his warmth of personality, has gained our respect and admiration. [michaelm@iafrica.com]

Jason Yeo, Singapore, has been a valuable asset to the team due to wealth of experience pertaining to this project. He is no stranger to ThinkQuest, having previously participated as a student and winning a Silver Award for his TQ1999 entry. Jason has also seen a fourteen-year-old autistic boy blossom under his mentoring - an experience which he regards as 'life-changing'. For his selflessness and dedication, Jason was honoured with his school's community prize upon graduation. Jason is currently serving his National Service, and relishes his weekends out, during which he meets up with old friends, catches musicals/ plays or just relaxes. [jasonyeo@cyberdude.com]