Trustee Patrick’s visit to South Africa – The Garden Route Children's Trust

Trustee Patrick Fleming visited South Africa in February, spending 10 days visiting our beneficiaries in various locations.

Patrick met many people committed to making a difference. Despite the challenges they keep going, day in and day out. Two examples of such people Patrick met are Jacky and Johann.

Jacky’s story

Jacky Daniels lives in a very poor community on the outskirts of a town called Despatch. She became aware that there was no pre-school provision for the children there, and also that there were many hungry children around. Jacky decided to begin feeding the children from her home. With the help of the Dutch Reformed Church, Jacky expanded this work over time and she is now feeding up to 350 children (from ages 4-16), from her home three days a week. Patrick reflects on his visit: “Can you imagine the effort required to mix the e’Pap for that number? An inspiration. They are still trying to start a pre-school as there is nothing in the area and it looks as if there is a building which they could use.”

Johann’s story

A number of years ago Johann Kikillus set up a school from scratch, for children in a dangerous area in Cape Town called Ocean View. The school operates out of a few shipping containers and today educates more than 100 children.

This area is a “gangland” plagued by drug and alcohol abuse and violence, and has experienced 200 murders in the last decade. The e’Pap breakfasts we fund have made such a difference to the children there, living amidst these very difficult circumstances.

Patrick also remarks that “it is easy to feel depressed by the state of the country, the poverty and the social problems but when you meet our partners and you see what they are doing you come away inspired. I certainly did.”

Below: The school in sea containers, Ocean View

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