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.
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.
Luke having a swim and recovering well.
Donate to Luke’s campaign on BackaBuddy:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/luke-mulvey
Alternatively, donate via Snapscan:
https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/luke-mulvey
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.”
To support this education initiative, make a donation via BackaBuddy here: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/cret or donate to one.
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.
Pictured above: Mahi Jithoo
Just four months ago, the Jithoo family from KwaZulu-Natal, heard the devastating news that no parent ever wants to hear: their 8-month-old baby girl, Mahi, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, a very rare form of cancer.
Mahi has spent most of her short life in hospital, where she has been receiving several rounds of chemotherapy to prepare her for a bone marrow stem cell transplant, which she desperately needs to save her life.
However, sadly, a donor match is yet to be found.
For Mahi and many children like her, they have to rely on the selflessness of a stranger to donate stem cells, as only 30% of patients are lucky enough to find a match within their immediate family.
The remaining 70% often have to look internationally if a local donor is not found. The odds of finding a donor match is 1 in 100 000 but is drastically reduced to 1 in 400 000 for patients of colour. Sadly, this is a problem that registries face globally.
Pictured above: Your donation could save Mahi’s life.
It is for this reason the Jithoo family has decided to join hands with the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) in an effort to help recruit more donors, particularly donors of colour; raise much-needed funds to procure additional buccal swab kits (testing kits), and cover the costs of donors’ medical tests in the hopes of giving Mahi, a second chance at life.
According to the SABMR, The cost of a bone marrow stem cell transplant from an international donor is more than double the cost of a local donor.
As these costs are covered by SABMR, the non-profit organisation has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, in hopes to save baby Mahi’s life.
Since the launch of the campaign, over R16 000 has been raised towards the fundraising target of R1 000 000, with kind contributions from donors both locally and internationally.
Pictured above: Mahi Jithoo
According to the SABMR, The cost of a bone marrow stem cell transplant from an international donor is more than double the cost of a local donor.
As these costs are covered by SABMR, the non-profit organisation has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, in hopes to save baby Mahi’s life.
Since the launch of the campaign, over R16 000 has been raised towards the fundraising target of R1 000 000, with kind contributions from donors both locally and internationally.
Support Baby Mahi by making a donation on BackaBuddy:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/baby-mahi
Alternatively, make a donation via Snapscan:
https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/baby-mahi
Register to become a bone marrow donor:
https://sabmr.co.za/become-a-donor/
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 raised over R270 Million.
Last month, Gender-based violence activist Leilani Kuter (47), from Roodepoort, Johannesburg, took on her 3rd annual walk to highlight sexual assault survivors in South Africa.
Leilani’s story
Three years ago, Leilani revisited the NG-church Youth Centre in Pretoria, where she was brutally raped, assaulted, and left for dead in 1992, when she was only 18-years-old.
In confronting her painful past, Leilani found her purpose: to shatter sexual assault stigma, shine a spotlight on survival, and empower abused women to get up, speak out, and get the help they need.
“I am inspired by people who don’t make excuses, who take control of their lives, people who get up and carry on. No matter what has happened to you, don’t let it become your life sentence” – says Leilani
Wearing yellow, the colour the attacker wore on that fateful day, Leilani stepped out of the shadows on the 27th anniversary of her assault, and walked 27km for 27 days, a total distance of 729km, uplifting survivors with every stride. Joined by over 300 individuals, including Bruce Fordyce, Leilani was encouraged to not give up.
On the 28th anniversary of her assault, Leilani returned with a nostalgic walk, walking 28km for 16 days, revisiting significant milestones and places in her life.
On the 16th of September 2021, the 29th anniversary of her sexual assault, Leilani took on a new challenge: walking for 29 hours, from Ventersdorp to Little Falls, Gauteng, to raise R290 000 on BackaBuddy, to provide women, particularly those in disadvantaged areas with access to free self-defence classes.
The self-defence classes which cost R300 per person, will take place during the 16 days of Activism in November, with Gary Lewis & Carien Davel from Never Tap Out.
“I am passionate about self-defence because if I had some of these skills in 1992, I might have been able to protect myself. These courses won’t make you a hero, but they could save your life and give you a fighting chance!” – says Leilani
On her walk, Leilani was joined by her friend Jaxy Olivier, two Guardian Angels from 1st For Women, and Gerhard Botes who will be driving closely behind to ensure their safety.
With her awareness walks, Leilani has raised over R500 000 through her non-profit organization, Yellow For Survivors NPC, to support rape crisis centres in South Africa, such as SA Women Fight Back, Tears Foundation, Purple Foundation, Bobbi Bear Foundation and many others.
In addition to her awareness walks, Leilani has also completed more than 2500km’s in dedication walks to honor women affected by gender-based violence, such as Sibongile Zenzile, Olivia Jasriel and Reeva Steenkamp.
“For me, walking has been very healing. When you look back and see how far you’ve come, you are reminded that the past is behind you and that you need to keep moving forward. When I started my walks, I had no expectations and no idea that this would change my life. Now everyone knows me as the lady with the yellow shirt. ” – says Leilani
To support Leilani’s 29 hour walk, make a donation on BackaBuddy here:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/29hrwgbv
Alternatively, make a donation via Snapscan:
https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/29hrWalkforGBV
All donors are eligible for a Section 18A tax certificate issued by Yellow for Survivors NPC.
More more information visit Yellow for survivors: https://www.yellowforsurvivors.co.za
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 44000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition, and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R500 Million.
Romario Valentine (9), a pint-size planet warrior and artist from Umhlanga, Durban, has dedicated the last 4 years of his young life to protecting our planet.
Fully focused on his passions, namely bird and marine conservation, climate change, and deforestation, Romario has remarkably completed 180 beach clean-ups to date, planted over 455 trees across 22 continents, and last year he raised over R31 000 on BackaBuddy to support the Umgeni River Bird Park in lieu of birthday gifts.
Despite only being in grade 4, Romario has become a rising star in the conservation space.
He recently made history by becoming the youngest Ambassador for Ocean Sole, a Kenyan company that recycles flip flops that wash ashore by transforming them into vibrant colourful marine and wildlife sculptures with the help of local artists.
On the 17th of June 2021, He was selected by the UNCCD “United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification” to highlight climate change and land degradation to represent them at their Desertification and Drought Day.
He has also been featured by The United Nations, 50/50, Extreme E’s Virtual Series Launch, National Geographic Kids, Global Citizen, and appeared as one of 35 activists in “What a Wonderful World” a book by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe and Lydia Hill, to be released in the United Kingdom, August 2021.
Romario celebrated his 10th birthday on 26th July 2021, staying true to his selfless nature, he once again decided to forgo birthday gifts to instead raise R20 000 on Backabuddy, to support two charities close to his heart, Birds of Eden and Zeitz Foundation.
As Romario blew out the candles on his birthday cake this year, he only had one wish, which was “to restore habitats for biodiversity and to leave a legacy for other children and generations to come”
Since the launch of his crowdfunding campaign, Romario raised over R 24 000 exceeding his fundraising target, with contributions from 71 donors both locally and abroad.
Funds raised allowed him to sponsor 350 Acacia trees to be planted in the rainy season this October/November in the Segera, Kenya with Zeitz Foundation.
His trees included a variety of baobab, coral, blackbird berry, acacia, mango, mulberry, papaya, and pepper bark which were planted last week by women from the community.
The additional funds were donated to Birds of Eden, Plettenberg Bay in Western Cape to help with the completion of 30 × 30m aviary for abandoned African Grey parrots to have a safe home and live freely.
“Trees are life, they are important for our survival and help slow down global warming. When we take care of nature, we take care of ourselves. I am grateful for all the support from my parents and everyone around the world. I believe it is my mission to protect biodiversity. ” – Romario Valentine
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/romario-valentine-10th-birthday
“As parents, we are honoured to have a humble, visionary son. Romario has been passionate about the environment and wildlife for several years. We will continue to support him the best way we can on his journey. We believe he is a Champion of the Earth. We are grateful to everyone who has supported his campaigns and his environmental journey to date. – says, Romario’s mum, Delsha Moodley
Follow Romario on Twitter: https://twitter.com/artistromario
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.