Gift Zingora, a dedicated and passionate gardener, has achieved a monumental milestone. After two years of persistent saving and remarkable community support, Gift now proudly owns a fully-fledged garden service business. This accomplishment is not only a personal triumph for Gift but also a cause for celebration across the Bryanston community.
Gift’s inspiring journey began in November 2022 when he first garnered the attention of the Bryanston residents. Demonstrating unwavering commitment, Gift ingeniously converted his bicycle into a mobile gardening toolkit, tirelessly cycling between clients’ gardens. It was during this period that local resident Grant Zoghby noticed Gift’s dedication and struck up a conversation with him about his work. Deeply moved by Gift’s story and aspirations, Grant initiated a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign to help Gift realise his dream of expanding his garden service.
Back in 2022, Gift’s daily workload was limited to a single garden due to the constraints of cycling between clients. His vision was to extend his services to two or three gardens a day, which necessitated the acquisition of a bakkie and a team. With the help of Grant and another resident, Bridget Nortje, fundraising efforts through BackaBuddy raised enough money to provide Gift with essential safety gear, a cell phone, and some additional supplies, while the rest of the funds were saved for purchasing a bakkie.
Pictured above: (Left) Gift Zingora with his mobile gardening tool kit, (Right) Gift with Grant Zoghby and Bridget Nortje
Recently, Bridget shared an uplifting update on the I Love Bryanston Facebook group:
“I’m sure many of you will remember the story of Gift, who Grant Zoghby and I met a few years back. He is a wonderful gardener who works 7 days a week and has made his own makeshift “bakkie” with his bicycle to transport his gardening goods to his workplaces and back home.” – Bridget Nortje
“The story grew and the reach was further than we could ever have imagined. Many of you contributed to a BackaBuddy fund and we managed to do repairs to his bike, supply proper lights, shoes, a helmet and safety equipment as well as buy a cellphone for Gift to communicate with clients. Gift’s ultimate goal and dream was to one day own a bakkie of his own to do his gardening work and transport his equipment to and from his home to his employers’ homes. With the money raised, this goal still seemed very out of reach. We explained to Gift that we would need to keep saving and help him get a driver’s licence for him to own this vehicle.” Bridget told Good Things Guy
Thanks to years of perseverance, diligent saving, and the generosity of the Bryanston community, Gift’s dream has finally come to fruition. Today, he proudly owns a bakkie, ready to elevate his business to new heights.
Source and Image Credit: Good Things Guy