With an ever-increasing litter problem in Fourways, the Jukskei River, and its surrounds, The SW Living Creatures Trust, led by Sean Williams (50) from Lonehill, Johannesburg, has embarked on a clean-up project that is gaining momentum.
Launched in November 2020, the Live Life Always project, which has created job opportunities for 8 otherwise unemployed Diepsloot residents, has collected over 62 280 bags of litter, which amounts to over 410 tonnes of waste.
The program is not only supporting families who have been tremendously affected by the lockdown, but is highlighting the devastating impact waste plastic and litter has on our planet.
“My passion has always been about saving our beautiful planet and if we don’t as a human race make a change, then my daughter being 5 years old, will be the last generation on this planet. Together we have to make the change and not leave it for someone else to take on this responsibility. We will clean up this planet, one bag at a time” – says Sean
Sean Williams
Crowdfunding on Backabuddy
As the operation relies on donations to operate and sustain itself, the enthusiastic planet-warriors have launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, to appeal for the public for support.
Since the launch of the campaign to cover the program’s operational costs and pay the salaries of the volunteers, overR155 000.00 has been raised from kind residents and donors across the globe. Live Real Estate (Lonehill), fourways (Leroy Merlin), Plastics SA and Fourways Crossing have also come on board to support the cause.
The project, which caters to the community of Fourways & Diepsloot in Gauteng and Rosendal in the Eastern Free State, and has recently expanded into Sunninghill, Sandton, Douglasdale, Rivonia, and Strydom Park, requires an estimate of R25 000 a week to run effectively.
The campaign hopes to raise a total of R250 000 to keep the project running smoothly for the next 10 weeks.
‘In efforts to create more funds, I have built this Plastic muncher, Ecobrick maker for schools to stuff their single use plastics into a empty 2 litre plastic bottle. I sell them for R2600 per unit. The colours can change depending on the different school houses in the schools, so it can be a competition between children at schools. We have finished another Ecobrick bench, using 1000 ecobricks at the Beverley Park in Lonehill and Lita at Play was the mural artist’, says Sean.
Solomon Majwe.
How your donation can make a difference:
– Your R100 donation will pay for transport for 3 employees for a day.
– Your R250 donation will cover 1 day’s wage, lunch and transport for 1 employee.
– Your R1,000 donation will cover 4 employee’s costs per day.
– Your R3,750 donation will cover the team’s wages, food & transport for 1 full day
– Your R5,000 donation will cover the admin costs of the operation for 1 week.
– Your R18,750 donation will keep a whole team of 15 people employed for 1 week.
– Your R25,000 donation will sustain the entire operation for 1 week.
Support this cause on BackaBuddy by donating here:
When Mornay Le Roux (49), a doting dad from Hilton, Kwa-zulu Natal was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in August 2019, it shocked his family and three daughters aged 5, 19 and 26.
Rocked by the news but determined to put up a fight, Mornay, spent his life-savings to cover his medical expenses as he had to undergo a liver operation, multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and cover the cost of his surplus hospital and surgeon bills.
Mornay and his daughters
After a year-long battle with this dread disease, doctors pronounced that Mornay was finally in remission.
This was a great feat for the Le Roux family, but their celebration was short-lived.
In October 2020, just two months after receiving the ‘all-clear’, tests revealed that Mornay’s cancer was back with a vengeance and had spread to his lymph nodes, liver, and had begun attacking his immune system. Mornay Le Roux
In November 2020, Mornay had to undergo another liver operation to remove a sizable tumour.
Whilst in hospital, he faced another setback when he picked up a superbug and had to be re-hospitalised for 7 weeks. Furthermore, Mornay had a fifth of his lung removed due to the abscess the superbug caused.
Crowdfunding on BackaBuddy
To continue his aggressive chemotherapy, which makes him incredibly ill, Mornay cannot return full time to his work as a labour consultant.
To alleviate the financial stress Mornay is facing, the Le Roux family has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to appeal to the public for support as Mornay fights for his health.
With the support of generous donors, over R 162 987.90has been raised towards their fundraising target of R400 000 with contributions from 131 donors from Hilton, Pietermaritzburg and around the globe.
“Mornay is humble, kind, and was reluctant to appeal for any sort of donation, but at this point, it is all we have left. We want to alleviate the financial stresses he faces so he can focus fully on healing and his next 6 months of aggressive chemotherapy. We want and need him to be around for his family for many more years to come. “ – says Kelly Stegen who helped Mornay set up his campaign.
Support Mornay’s medical treatment by donating to his campaign here:
Born to an underprivileged family, Robert Maposa (43) from Mamelodi East, Pretoria, learned to make the most out of his limited opportunities.
Determined to build a better life for his wife, Hitahlula, and their two sons, Wonderful and Timothy, Robert worked as a gardener and did odd jobs to put himself through matric at the age of 28 and then went on to study a law degree.
Despite the obstacles in his path, Robert exceeded all expectations, passing his LLB degree from UNISA with distinction.
As finding a job has proven difficult without a vehicle of his own, Jonathan Smith (23), who has known Robert for the past 15 years, as he has worked for his family, launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to surprise Robert with a second hand car to expand his work opportunities as he prepares for his board exams.
“I have been so fortunate to grow up around Robert, when I was younger he would tell me stories and let me help in the garden. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned to appreciate his kind spirit even more and I couldn’t be prouder of what he has achieved. I know given the slightest chance that he will be a major success” – says Jonathan.
Jonathan Smith
Overwhelmed with support, Jonathan’s campaign to purchase a set of wheels for Robert has raised over R40 000 towards the fundraising target of R60 000 with contributions from 85 donors.
“We are so excited to read Robert the messages of support he has received and let him know that we have been raising funds for a car for him in ‘secret’. He has worked so hard and so diligently for so long, he really deserves all the praise” – says Jonathan.
Jonathan says additional funds raised by the campaign will be used to purchase Robert a laptop and smart work clothes as he begins his new journey.
Donors have started to respond with kind messages of support:
“Most inspiring story. Blown away by your commitment and dedication. Wish you nothing but all the success you deserve. ” – Caz Lea
“You are one of the few who build a door when there are none to knock on. Well done!! Good luck ” – Christine
“Thank you for all your hard work and for looking after me. You deserve this! Im so proud of you!” – Ina smith
“Every setback is a set up for a come back, and your comeback is nothing short of exceptional. To a man who defied circumstances, I wish you nothing but the best. ” – Tatton
“Robert, you are an inspiration! I’m grateful for the opportunity to support your dream ” – Leah Scholtz
In July 2020, Shaun and Bianca Pretorius from Benoni, Johannesburg, learned the devastating news that their son, Shaunie (11), a bright and happy young boy, was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive, and terminal type of brain cancer called Brainstem Glioma.
A devastatingdiagnosis
At the beginning of lockdown, Shaunie was struggling with fatigue and constant vomiting. Thinking that his condition was perhaps brought on by school stress and adapting to online learning, his parents took him to a number of doctors to see what was wrong.
Matters soon got worse when the antibiotics he was given did little to remedy his condition. Shaunie began struggling with his eyesight, had difficulty moving around and battled to communicate.
Shaunie having a CT scan at Linmed Hospital
To determine the cause of Shaunie’s rapid decline, he was taken for CT scan at Linmed Hospital in Johannesburg. The heartbreaking results of the x-ray determined that Shaunie has a cancerous tumour in his brain stem, a fatal condition known as Brainstem Glioma, which has a median survivalrate of only 9 months.
With doctors unable to operate on Shaunie, he underwent 12 aggressive Radiation Therapy sessions to shrink his tumour and alleviate some of his pain.
To shelter Shaunie from the severity of his condition, his parents haven’t told him that his tumour is cancerous, but he understands why he has begun losing his hair and that he is unwell.
“Hearing that your child, who has always been perfectly healthy, is fighting a deadly disease and only has a few months left to live is devastating. We don’t know how to tell Shaunie that he is dying. We still have hope that God will hear our prayers and that he will make it through” – says Bianca
As there is no cure for Shaunie’s condition, he is currently being treated symptomatically with cannabis oil and steroids to help the swelling on his brain and increase his appetite.
Shaunie’s Birthday Wish
As only 1% of children diagnosed with Brainstem Glioma live up to 5 years, the Pretorius family are focused on keeping Shaunie as healthy, as pain free and as comfortable as possible so he can enjoy the time he has left with his parents and his little brother, Mattie (3).
Shaunie with his little brother, Mattie.
Focusing on all the things that spark joy for a young boy, Shaunie’s uncle Juandre Botha has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, to fulfil Shaunie’s ultimate dream of owning a Playstation 5, just in time for his 12th birthday on the 9th of March.
“Sadly we do not know exactly how much time we have left with our little man, so we really want to make every single day as special and as comfortable as possible for him. As I’m sure anyone can imagine this battle is really hard on him but he’s a very strong-willed little fighter and we are so proud of him.” – says Jaundre
With generous support, Shaunie’s campaign has already raised over R 9000 towards his fundraising target of R12 000, with contributions from 16 donors across the country.
Additional funds raised will be used to cover Shaunie’s additional medical expenses, specialized food and living expenses.
Using instant messaging apps such as Whatsapp, Facebook messenger and WeChat is a great way to launch your crowdfunding campaign to your immediate network, share positive updates, thank donors, and promote your campaign in a creative way.
In this guide, we will discuss the power of Whatsapp Marketing and walk you through some practical tips that you can use to promote your cause.
Why use WhatsApp to promote your crowdfunding campaign?
90% of internet users in South Africans are active users of WhatsApp, according to a report by Hoodsuite.
98% of WhatsApp messages are both opened and read according to Dynmark. Hoodsuite also reports that Whatsapp messages are opened within the first 3 seconds.
Over 450 million Whatsapp users make use of WhatsApp stories, surpassing even Snapchat, a report by Business Of Apps finds.
84% of online sharing now takes place through instant messaging according to RadiumOne.
Constructing your message
When putting together a WhatsApp message, make sure to keep your message short (no longer than 80 characters), personal and informative.
Remember to introduce your campaign in a friendly way to attract donors, make sure to summarize what you’re crowdfunding for and mention the positive impact donations will have on your beneficiary.
Don’t forget to include your BackaBuddy link at the end of your message, so potential donors will be able to make a contribution. It is also a good idea to ask your contacts to share your campaign with 5-10 of their contacts to help you reach a wider audience.
An example,
Hi Monique, I hope you are well!
I have created a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to feed 100 families in Pietermaritzburg who are unable to provide for their families during the lockdown.
We have so far raised R 15 000 towards our fundraising target! Funds raisedwill be used to purchase digital food vouchers for those in need.
Please support us by making a small donation on BackaBuddy. If you’re unable to contribute, please be so kind as to share our campaign with your friends and loved ones. https://www.backabuddy.co.za/feeding-pietermaritzburg
Remember to add a Photo or Video to accompany your message.
Support your message with media
As they say, a picture says a thousand words. Support your introductory message with a few hi-quality images that illustrate what your campaign is about. Sharing videos or voice notes is also a great way to engage and share more information about your campaign!
Practical ways to use WhatsApp to share your crowdfunding campaign
Forward a message
Create a short message to introduce your campaign and forward your campaign privately to 5 friends at the same time.
Here’s how:
In an individual or group chat, tap and hold the message you want to forward, then tap Forward.
To forward multiple messages, you can select additional messages after you select the first message.
Tap Forward.
Search for or select the individual or group chats you want to forward the messages to.
Tap Forward.
Create a broadcast list
Create a broadcast list to share your campaign as mass message to an unlimited number of contacts. Once the list as been created, you will be able to revisit it to share more messages with the same group of people.
Search for or select the contacts you want to add.
Tap the check mark .
Create a group
Create a group chat to share your campaign with your WhatsApp contacts. Smaller groups are recommended, but if you have a big network, you are able to add up to 256 contacts in a single group.
Use WhatsApp groups to send campaign updates and motivate your immediate network to promote your campaign and find new potential donors.
When you have created a group, all participants will be able to interact with each other and will be notified of incoming messages.
Search for or select contacts to add to the group. Then tap the green arrow.
Enter a group subject. This will be the name of the group that all participants will see.
Optionally, add a group icon by tapping the Camera icon.
Tap the green check mark when you’re finished.
Create a WhatsApp Story/Status
WhatsApp Stories are a great way to share updates, engage with your close network of supporters and ensure your campaign maintains momentum throughout your crowdfunding journey.
Here’s How:
Tap Status.
Tap:
Camera or My Status to take a photo, record a video or GIF or choose an existing photo, video or GIF from your gallery. Remember to include a caption to introduce your campaign. Tap send .
After you have posted a photo in your status, the next steps is to share your BackaBuddy link using the Text icon.
Tap on to write a short message about your campaign and copy to your BackaBuddy link for donations. Tap send .
This will allow your contacts to click from your status onto your BackaBuddy campaign to make a donation.
We hope you enjoyed our tips for WhatsApp Marketing! While WhatsApp is a great tool to use to reach a wider audience, it should not be used in isolation.
Click Below for more tips on how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy:
Sean Williams
Solomon Majwe.
Sean Williams with Edharage Mukaro.
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> New group. 
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or My Status to take a photo, record a video or GIF or choose an existing photo, video or GIF from your gallery. Remember to include a caption to introduce your campaign. Tap send 
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to write a short message about your campaign and copy to your BackaBuddy link for donations. Tap send .