I grew up in a farming community and spent many afternoons playing in the gravel road with the farm worker’s children, until my mother would call me inside for dinner and bath time. It struck me that the other children were never called home, no one told them when to come for dinner or go have a bath. At first it seemed to me that they had a great deal, so much more freedom than I had and no one nagging at them to get inside! But as I got older I realised that in fact there might not have been any family dinner to go home to, or a warm bath to climb into, or possibly even a parent to call them home. It was this realisation that set the stage for the path I was to follow later in my life.
Because of my childhood experience, and knowing first hand the many challenges and limitations these children faced, I wanted to do something to help those who had not had the opportunities I had as a child. With this as my goal, I started the organisation 20 years ago and today we continue to offer opportunities to farm children across the Western Cape.
I love that our mission has always stayed the same, but that the vision and means of serving this mission has evolved and adapted as the need has grown. I love that we offer children a space to come to every afternoon, a space they feel safe, a space that serves them a meal and offers them growth in so many areas of their lives. Mostly though, I love that we provide these children with the space to be happy because in doing this we are offering them the opportunity to thrive.
Anna