Pictured above: George has sold ice cream on the beach for 43 years
George Phontshe Peni (71) from Khayelitsha, Cape Town, has made an honest living selling ice creams, whilst capturing the hearts of Bloubergstrand residents and beachgoers for more than 4 decades.
‘Uncle George’, who is an icon in the community, is affectionately known for his kind-loving nature, warm heart, and patience. Come rain or shine, he can often be seen peddling his bike to support his family.
Demonstrating random acts of kindness, George is known for giving out free ice creams to children who are short of change for a treat.
“Uncle George about a month ago gave my grandson- aged 2-ice cream for free, as I did not have money on me and he said a child should not go without ice cream. I could not believe the kindness and warmth of this man. Later on, we paid him back, however, his gesture had no price”, said one Instagram user.
As George is getting older, business has become a bit slower than it was in his golden years.
Due to financial struggles, George sometimes misses an opportunity to sell his ice cream on days when he can’t afford the travelling costs to and from his home.
He also lacks the strength to ride his bike, and rather pushes it alongside Babalwa, a family friend determined to help keep George’s small business and dream alive.
Pictured above: George in the golden years
A sweet friendship
Having lived in Blouberg for over a decade, Michelle Nel (32), formed a special friendship with George, despite their different backgrounds, age gap, and a language barrier.
“When you see an older person almost every other day working with the commitment and contentment of George, you cannot help but take an interest in their story. The more I saw George, I couldn’t help but envy his equanimity in the simplicity of his lifestyle. It’s like he figured it out, you know.” – says Michelle
Pictured above: Stopping for a scoop, Michelle visits George
Hearing his stories, she eagerly took notes, hoping for the opportunity to one day share his story with the world. But sadly, as it often happens, life and work took over, and the loosely translated tales of his life were misplaced.
Picture above: George Phontshe Peni captured at Bloubergstrand
Crowdfunding on BackaBuddy
A few years later, the unexpected happened: In need of taxi fair to get home one day, George showed up on Michelle’s doorstep out of the blue, with no knowledge of where she stayed.
Feeling a sense of divine intervention, and listening to her inner voice urging her to take on a cause greater than herself, Michelle knew it was the right time to tell George’s story and see if her community would help George get back on his feet.
With a suggestion from her husband, Regardt Nel (38), Michelle decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy with a fundraising target of R50 000, hoping to surprise George with a pension fund to support him and his family in the long term.
Watch George’s campaign video
Reaching out to neighbours, and posting on community groups, Michelle was blown away when the campaign soon reached over R70 000, with the support of 193 donors, each sharing heartwarming interactions with George over the last 43 years.
“My kids are 18 & 20 now, in their toddler years they’d run after George with great excitement & he’d always patiently wait while they made their ice cream choices. More than happy to contribute.” – Lorna
“My little Elli who’s 11 now got many free ice-creams as a baby when our nanny used to sit & chat to him at the beach – I’ll definitely support him thanks” – Lou
“Grandson was rewarded with a free ice cream for helping George lift his bike up the ramp at Kleinbaai thanks, good idea.” – Estelle
Pictured above: George proudly holds a sign with all his donation messages
‘The spirit of Ubuntu is alive’
Having helped set up a banking account for George, Michelle’s hope is that he will have an easier life, and have the means to fix his home and buy furniture.
“Thank you to the Blouberg community, for all you have done to echo the impact George has had to you. While he didn’t ask for us to do this for him, I know, by seeing his face as he reads through your donation comments that he is grateful beyond words. The commitment and love you have shown, proves that together we can make a genuine change in people’s lives.” – says Michelle
Thank you to the 193 incredible donors who supported uncle George thus far
Michael Zastron | Gaynor Rusford | Merwe Erasmus | Kim Fortuin | Miss dawes | Ida Pretorius | Sacks Lona | Michelle Rossouw | Claire Celliers | Robert Brent | Ross Jean | Nicholas Wulfse | Danielle Van Staden | Elke Kiehm | Nicolette Copeman | Helena Hutton | Jo-Ann Joffe | Bianca Seery | Xavier Dabrowski | K Fortuin | Vaughan Parvess | J Kervarrec | Samantha Schmidt | Wayne De Nobrega | Lynn Swanepoel | Trevor Venter | Sylvia Althof | Anne-Marie Learmonth | Ayesha Adams | Sonia Fattah | Rowan Whelan | Gabi Weck | Vicki Oosthuizen | Joanne Brits | Samantha Smit | Lauren Grornewald | Koba Molenaar | Luca Graziani | John Nicolson | Bridgette Daries Anon | Gaary Andrew | Ilze Raubenheimer | Dirk Tolken | Kerry Gordon | Amelia Hayes | Northing Vanessa | Karen Lambert | Kendal Warren | Liezel Maree | Sharon Stockdale | Michelle Els | Hilton and Lou Roos | Elizabeth Botha | Susan A | Barbara Moscicki | Sesona Matiso | Peter Leon Goosen | Joan Beattie | HC Easom | Busisa Ellen Dyosi | Amanda Biddle | Mario John Van Der Merwe | Jonathan Towers | Kim Germishuys | C L BILL | H A Edelkraut | Astrid Cadle | Laurie Ben yair | Lili Potgieter | N M Van der Walt | Annie Kok | Janine De Ponte | Ruth Paulus | Liezel Van Wyk | Renette GERBER POTGIETER | SHANE LAWRENCE | Celeste Moos | Tharien Potgieter | Anke Smuts | Chantal Muller | Lc Redding | CAM Williams | Jonathan Stokell | Marcelle Barry | Ranulf Lucas | Chantel Scholtz | Avril April | Cedric Franz | Yvette Rowland | Adeline Swanson | Ilona Du Plessis | Giuliana Cockcroft | Gerhard de Beer | Iris Taani | Lisa Nicholls | Lee John Serafin | N Abader | Willem de Lange | Anne Mann | Bryan Botha | Emma Neisius | Rachelle Seymore-Mackay | Lynette Alexander | Jennifer Graham | Brenda Barber | MARK VIRTUAL | Michele Viljoen | Pumza Bara | Elsie Pool | Vega Hall-Martin | YW Carr Alchemy Services | Carmen MC Gregor | Xandrie Cockrell | Elma Jooste | Jade Duncan | Nicole dos Santos | NV Munsamy | Laanie Allan | Loren Shapiro | Nuraan Ramos | michelle terblanche | Denise Drew | Melanie Hertz | Teresa Lavagnino | Andrea Bodill | Brendon Wilson | Wendy Vadivellu | Benay Mermer | Dhansukh Gajjar | Mecarla Lewis | Blia Yang | Chantelle Arpesella | lauren purdon | Tracy Sterley | Carolien Saayman | Stephane Favre | Don Bekker | Jean Droste | Chantelle Hall | Stephanie H | Grant Watson | Miss Mika Enslin | Leila Coetzee | Kenita Rabilal | Craig Melnick | Paul Reyburn | Adeela Rahbeeni | KR Meijer | Roche Denholm | Stacey Wolpert | Pilisa Matyholo | Tracey Belelie | Elsa M Taylor | Lauren Van Schaik | M Louw | Elina S Iordanova | Sue Wright | El-Maree Van Zweel | Maria Pretorius | Bridgitte Moores-Pitt | Alice Morrison | Lesley Gutsche | Cedric Edwards | N Getley | Claudia Baker | Peter Grainger | Heinrich Robyn | Adriaan Van Niekerk | Liezel Kotze | Collin Soogrim | Doreen Bruss | Lindie Henning | Gwen Robinson
One month before her birthday, Farren Grace (7), a grade one pupil from Westville, Durban, was diagnosed with Leukemia, a rare form of cancer in the blood and bone marrow.
Pictured above: Farren not feeling well after a day of chemo
As a result of her condition, Farren faces frequent infections, fatigue as well as bleeding and bruising, as her abnormal white blood cells travel through her bloodstream, attacking her healthy cells.
Dealing with Farren’s devastating diagnosis has been difficult for her parents, Elrigh Grace and Katie Pillinger, who have spent every possible moment at their daughter’s side as she has endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy over the last 3 months.
“At the moment we are just taking it one day at a time and rely heavily on our faith to get us through. It’s been incredibly tough and a rollercoaster ride but Farren is positive and keeps us all smiling with her optimism!” says Katie.
Pictured above: Farren and her mom, Katie
South Africans coming together
The Grace family are eternally grateful for the community that has surrounded them during this difficult time.
With the generous support of 313 donors, over R430 000 has been raised on BackaBuddy to help fund Farren’s cancer treatment, and home care, estimated to cost over R500 000.
Pictured above: Farren doing her homework in Hospital
“We so appreciate every prayer; messages of encouragement and hope; acts of kindness and love and of course donations which hugely help ease the financial burden Farren’s treatment and care has placed on our family.” says Katie
Pictured above: Farren and her dad, Elrigh
At the moment Farren is undergoing her second phase of chemotherapy – the most intense phase which means most of her time is spent in isolation at Parklands Hospital. She will then need a bone marrow biopsy to determine the effectiveness of her treatment and the way forward.
The family’s biggest hope at the moment is that the fun, friendly and full of life Farren’s health will be restored in order for her to return to school and have the wonderful life she deserves.
Photo above: Farren with her mom, Katie and stepdad, Luke
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far risen over R290 Million.
On the 21st of November 2021, 28 cyclists from Johannesburg, part took in the 94.7 Ride JoburgPedalingfor a purpose, the group aimed to support the South African Bone Marrow Registry in raising funds for the organisation’s Patient Assistance Programme.
To date, the SABMR has helped save the lives of 550 patients with life-threatening blood disorders by matching them with healthy, unrelated bone marrow donors from South Africa and the rest of the world.
Currently, there are 39 million registered donors worldwide and counting. Ethnicity plays a vital role in finding a donor as you’re most likely to find a donor within your own ethnic grouping. South Africa is a prime and unique example of mixed inherited diversity, making it even more difficult to find a suitable match for a patient in need.
A patient has a 1 in 100 000 chance of finding a suitable donor match. These odds are even further reduced for patients of colour to 1 in 400 000 as there is a lack of donors of colour not only on our local registry, but globally. Hence, spurring everyone who is eligible to sign up and donate to give patients the second chance at life they so deserve.
“Bone marrow-related diseases is not a mystery, it is a solvable challenge. There are however many patients in need of stem cell transplant to offer them the best chance of survival. The solution: we must get everyone in the world on a registry to give them the best chance. Starting in South Africa.” – says Dr Charlotte Ingram
As a non-profit public benefit organisation, the SABMR relies heavily on financial donations to cover the costs of donor recruitment which costs around R2000 per swab test kit.
Each kit needs to be sent to an international laboratory for tissue-typing before the results are placed on the SABMR’s database, to which donor registries around the world have access.
To support the SABMR’s fundraising efforts, 28 cyclists from South Africa took on the 94.7 Ride Joburg this past weekend. Proceeds from this initiative will go directly towards the SABMR’s Patient Assistance Programme which helps families who are not in the financial position to be able to cover the cost of a donor search.
Cycled a distance of 94km, the champions hoped to raise R100 000 collectively by crowdfunding on BackaBuddy, to cover the costs of 50 swab test kits, used to recruit new donors and expand the SABMR database.
Meet a few of the cyclists at the 94.7 Ride Joburg
Cycled to support the SABMR for the second time, Christine Roos (30) from Benoni, who is admittedly not a pro-cyclist, is hoping to raise R8000 on BackaBuddy, to support the SABMR and the for the life-saving work they do.
Pictured above: Christine Roos
“My journey with the SABMR is one that is very close to my heart. Not only has it raised awareness for a very special cause but it has supported me to appreciate my life, my health, and my ability to positively impact the lives of others. The power of togetherness has truly shown up for SABMR and I endeavor to continue to push myself to the limits in the water and on land for this organization and the people it supports!” – says Christine
Mathew Dejager (23) from Rosebank, Johannesburg, took on the 947 in hopes to highlight the importance of donor recruitment. With his crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, he has exceed his fundraising goal of R5000, with more funds coming in to congratulated him for his achievement.
“Being able to raise funds for the SABMR is a blessing to me – I am fit and healthy enough to be able to push my body. The role that the SABMR plays in the lives of cancer patients is one that signifies hope and courage. With the awareness and funds that I’ve helped in raising, I hope that the SABMR continues their mission of touching the lives of people who need it the most.” – says Matthew
Pictured above: Mathew Dejager
Combined, the 28 cyclists have raised almost R80 000 towards their fundraising target of R100 000 with contributions from 218 donors.
To support one of the SABMR’s 28 cyclists on Backabuddy, make a donation here:
*All funds raised will be managed by the SABMR. Donors will also be eligible for a Section 18A tax certificate issued by the organisation.
Become a Bone Marrow donor
According to SABMR, Head of Sustainability and National Operations Kamiel Singh, there are currently only 74 000 donors registered on the SABMR’s database to cater to over 59.3 million South Africans.
“Every year, hundreds of South Africans with blood diseases such as leukemia reach the point where their only chance of survival is a bone marrow transplant. For about 30% of patients, a matched donor can be found in their own family; for the other 70%, their only hope is to find a matched unrelated donor identified by the SABMR.” – says Head of Sustainability and National Operations, Kamiel Singh.
Pictured above: Kamiel Singh
You can Register to become a Bone Marrow donor, by clicking here:
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far risen over R250 Million.
On the 30th of September 2021, Luke Mulvey, a 9-year-old boy who lives on a smallholding in Lovemore Park, Eastern Cape, was attacked by a 250kg mother sow that he has looked after as a pet for the last 2-years.
Pictured above: Luke has always had a fondness for animals and dreams of working in animal rescue one day.
Having just flown kites with his dad, Luke stopped by the pig pen to check on their sow and her piglets, , he had done just 2 days before.
Not expecting the pig to be uneasy about his presence, as she is usually friendly and placid, Luke was caught off guard when the pig charged at him to protect her newborn babies.
Pictured above: Piglet, the mother sow.
Watching in horror, as ‘Piglet’ latched onto Luke’s arm and ‘shook him like a rag doll’, his father, David, grabbed onto the pig’s tail, using all his strength to prevent her from lunging towards Luke again and killing him.
“I am so grateful that I had the strength to hold on. It was a terrifying and traumatic experience for both of us. I thought I was going to see my son killed before my eyes. My world was turned upside down in a flash” says David.
Thankfully, Edward, who works on the farm, heard Luke’s terrified screams and rushed to the pen to lift the terrified boy to safety.
With the crushing of his left arm and the gnashing of his right hand and fingers, Luke was bleeding profusely and in severe pain while being rushed to St. George’s Hospital, where his broken arm was eventually wired and plated together.
Luke has thus far endured four surgeries, in what will be a long road to recovery, involving physiotherapy, counselling, and possibly skin grafts.
Pictured above: Luke was rushed to St. George’s Hospital after being bitten by a pig on their farm
Crowdfunding on BackaBuddy
With Luke’s medical costs exceeding over R300 000 thus far, as the family is without medical aid, the public has shown tremendous support for the Mulvey family through their crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy.
With generous support from the public, over R64 000 has been raised with kind contributions from 112 donors both locally and internationally, who have been a blessing to the family that has suffered great emotional and financial stress.
Pictured above: Despite his pain, Luke is in good spirits.
Unexpected Acts of Kindness
Since Luke was discharged from the hospital, he has healed tremendously and has full use of his arm and fingers. He is going for his X-Rays soon to find out when he will have the follow-up surgery to remove plates and pins.
“It took him about a month before he gained enough confidence to go outside, he has come a far way, he is still shaken and traumatised by certain things that trigger the fear he experienced during the attack such as seeing the sheep which is a hard thing for him to go through and even harder to watch as my son has a huge love for all animals,” says David.
To assist Luke in his recovery through this traumatic experience, a lovely lady from Sunflower Healing has generously offered to see and counsel him.
“She is just one of the many people who blew us away showing us kindness, love and hope, the kind of support we never imagined we would receive. We are at a loss for words to thank each and everyone of our donors, you helped to soften the financial blow and enabled Luke to get the care he needed,” says David.
Pictured above: Luke with his dad, David.
Thanks to everyone’s tremendous support of his BackaBuddy campaign, Luke’s family has been able to pay off some of the hospital bills that helped save them from the financial stress.
I am just so grateful that my son Luke is here with me today and everyone who supported us can know how eternally grateful we are to you all. Thank you to every donor whether friend or stranger and no matter how big or small a donation and also to all the people out there for the kind messages. And a huge thank you to the surgical team and nursing staff at Life St. Georges hospital for their care and kindness.
The Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust’s (CRET) alumni are giving back and paying it forward with an initiative of their own, supporting deserving students just like they were once supported.
Now in established careers as a result of the bursary and development support they received from CRET, the alumni have established their own CRET Alumni Fund.
They have contributed and leveraged funding to support three students in university already. Now they have launched a crowdfunding initiative through BackaBuddy to boost the Alumni Fund and to support more students in need.
Their goal is to raise a total of R1 million to help The Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust’s (CRET) support at least 6 first year students in 2022.
From right to left: From The Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust’s (CRET) alumni Donaé Loggenberg, Moosa Amanjee and Sharlotte Mkansi are among 8 individuals hoping to pay it forward.
During a bursary support masterclass held in April this year, it was noted that university retention and pass rates in South Africa are low.
WATCH: Cyril Madiba introduces the CRET BackaBuddy campaign
Research indicates that 33% of students enrolled in a four-year degree will drop out and less than a third of students manage to complete their tertiary education in the minimum allocated time. The loss of and dropout from learning will continue if active citizenship is not part of the solution to mitigate the challenges faced at all levels of learning.
“It is clear that a bursary for tuition alone is not enough, Chantelle Oosthuizen, CRET Executive Director said.” That is the gap the CRET alumni through the BackaBuddy campaign are hoping to close. They are working on paying it forward by assisting current beneficiaries with more than just tuition funding but ensuring that other developmental areas of their personal lives and academic careers are nurtured so that they successfully complete their studies or training”, she said.
CRET implements a holistic bursary support programme that offers students academic and skills development support, career guidance, psycho-social support, soft skills training, and ongoing mentorship to ensure real throughput success.
“This holistic support mitigates the high drop-out rate and guarantees well-rounded graduates who possess key skills to contribute to the economy and society,” Cyril Madiba, Chairperson of CRET’s Alumni Advisory Board said.” “And as this initiative shows,” he added, “CRET also encourages the ethos of ‘giving back’, developing committed civic-minded students.”
Donations can also be made to one of the eight alumni who are working tirelessly to change the life of one deserving student, with their own fundraisers.
