In 2018, Andrew Patterson (39) from Sea Point, Cape Town, successfully climbed Table Mountain every day for a year to raise funds for 3 non-profit organisations, Habitat for Humanity, One Heart and Sunflower Fund on BackaBuddy.
Through the summer sun and winter rain, Andrew pushed his body to the limits and committed to his cause in hopes to inspire South Africans to look out for their fellow man and make the world a better place.
Taking the last step of his 964 hour, 2429km journey (including 262km of vertical climbing – which is equivalent to climbing Mount Everest 71 times) on New Year’s Eve, Andrew was thankful to the 738 climbers who joined him along the way, as well as the 485 donors who pledged their support.
“The people I got to meet, the conversations that we have had on the mountain, the enthusiasm for people to get behind this to make a real difference in this country was mind blowing. It goes to show that you can never fully grasp the full power of an idea until you act on it and start to see it blooming. It was hard to put into a few words what that year meant to me, the entire experience was even greater than I ever imagined. I developed a greater understanding of listening to my own inner voice, intuition and gut.” – says Andrew
Deliver books to 3 of the Western Cape’s poorest schools in Stellenbosch, Klapmuts and Kayamandi in connection with One Heart for Kids.
Upgrade the homes of 10 struggling families living in shacks in Baphumelele, Khayelitsha with Habitat for Humanity.
Add 60 donors to the Sunflower Fund by running 2 donor drives to help those living with leukaemia.
Taking on the challenge, Andrew learned a powerful lesson about what we can accomplish together when we push through our own fears and insecurities.
“I learned when I choose to focus on solutions to challenges rather than become weighed down by the challenge itself – whether climbing or the societal challenges at large – I feel far more empowered. There is always a solution. I just have to decide I have the dedication, perseverance, and depth of faith to go as far as is needed.” – says Andrew
Andrew hopes South Africans will be inspired to conquer their own mountain.
“Whatever your challenge – just get started. Table mountain from afar seemed insurmountable, but seeing the next few stairs ahead of you makes you think ‘why didn’t I start sooner’. Focus on today and what you can do right now to make South Africa better” – says Andrew
On crowdfunding for his cause, Andrew had this to say:
“Partnering with BackaBuddy gave me the freedom to focus 100% on my challenge and know that the finances were taken care of. The transparency with which donations are shown and the ease with which people could donate from around the world made them a joy to work with.”
Rudy’s Challenge
Inspired by Andrew, Rudy van Dieman (26), a tour guide for Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, hopes to achieve 365 summits up Table Mountain in 2022 to help buy a safe house for children in Mitchells Plain. Read More.
“Rudy first contacted me in 2020 to tell me he wanted to tackle this challenge. Climbing Table Mountain every day for a year is a mammoth undertaking — but once I heard why he wanted to do this, I had absolute faith in him. Rudy is an incredible man with big dreams and an even bigger heart. I’m incredibly proud of him and supporting him with every step he climbs.” – says Andrew
Andrew with Rudy in 2018
Thank you to the 486 incredible donors who supported Andrew on his life-changing journey to make a difference.
Raghmah Solomon | Nicola Kennedy | Lisa T. Smeddle | Gary Light | Snjólaug Benediktsdóttir | Jasper Basson | Mark Giese | Iwona Smit | La Barista Mccreadie | Leonard N. 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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.
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 000has 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 000has 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:
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.
Kirsty Olwagen (32) a school bus driver from Pietermaritzburg, was a breech baby, born with a dislocated hip, which has placed tremendous strain on knees her whole life.
Pictured above: Kirsty and her husband, Sefas.
At only 2-years old, doctors at Mediclinic in Kwa-Zulu Natal, realised that Kirsty’s hip had grown past her socket, and without surgery, she might not have been able to walk for the rest of her life.
To help Kirsty re-align her hip with her socket, her legs needed to be stretched out into the splits, and she had to hang upside down, with the help of a T-shape mechanism, for 2-years, while she ate, slept and played.
Thankfully, the procedure worked, and Kirsty proved everyone wrong who thought she wouldn’t be able to walk.
Pictured above: Kirsty Olwagen at age 6.
Later in Life
Fast forward a couple years, and Kirsty’s problem with her hips manifested in a new way.
Developing large breasts at the age of only 13-years old, Kirsty felt tremendous pressure on her back, and eventually had to undergo a series of 5 knee operations.
Pictured above: Kirsty Olwagen at age 18
Like many women who deal with the burden of a heavier chest, Kirsty has struggled with weight gain her whole life, which has placed increased pressure on her knees.
She has since developed a more severe condition: Sacroiliitis in her left hip, which causes inflammation of the sacroiliac joints, as well as tension of the lumbar spine and pelvic joints.
To avoid Kirsty having to undergo a comprehensive back operation or hip replacement surgery, which could put her life at risk, doctors have recommended that she has Breast reduction surgery urgently, as her breasts weigh over 6kgs.
“I want nothing more than to enjoy life with my family, without being in constant pain and discomfort. My boobs and I have had a good run, but the party’s over and it’s time to go.” – jokes Kirsty.
Help Kirsty get a weight off her chest
As Kirsty’s medical aid has declined to cover the cost of her breast reduction surgery, estimated to cost over R94 000, arguing that it is a cosmetic procedure.
To help ease her financial burden, non-profit organisation, Porky’s People NPC, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to reach out to the public for support. Thus far, over R8300 has been raised with generous support.
Funds raised, which will be administered by BackaBuddy NPC and Porky’s People NPC, will be used to cover the cost of Kirsty’s medication, time in theatre, the surgeon and anaesthetist fee, as well as an overnight hospital stay.
“Everyone who knows Kirsty knows she is a big girl, with an even bigger heart. Having this operation will help her regain her confidence and finally live pain-free.” – says Kirsty’s sister, Natasha.
With public support, Kirsty could undergo her breast surgery in Pretoria before the end of year.
We understand that raising funds for a cause can be difficult and sometimes intimidating, which is why our team has put together our best advice for a successful crowdfunding campaign.
If you have any questions throughout your journey, please reach out to us, and we will be happy to guide you.
Your first donations and getting started:
Send your campaign to family and friends first with a short, personal message via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or email.
Here’s why:
Campaigns with initial support from loved ones creates trust in your campaign, and can help you raise 220% more funds.
Instant messages are also typically read within the first 3 seconds, which increases your chances of getting support for your cause in the beginning phase.
For sharing templates and advice on getting started, click here.
Avoid sharing your campaign to a wide audience with no funds raised.
Here’s why:
Just like no one wants to be the first person on the dancefloor, donors in the wider community usually wait until a campaign has a few contributions before lending their support – especially if they don’t know you personally.
Raise more funds
Fine tune your campaign message: Your campaign message should be simple, short, but emotive. The person reading it should know exactly who you are, where you are from, what your funding needs are and the impact donations will have on your life. Read more.
Tell your story with a short video: Create a 1-2 minute video with your cell phone that introduces yourself and your cause. This video can be loaded to your campaign via a YouTube link, if you don’t have an account, send us the clip and we will upload it for you! Read more.
FACT: Campaigns with videos tend to raise about 4 times more funds.
Reach out to a wider audience on social media: Sharing your campaign on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagramand beyond will allow more people to see and share your campaign. We recommend waiting until you have at least 3 or 4 donations before sharing your campaign on social platforms.
FACT: Social Media can increase your campaign’s likelihood of success by 5 times
Haven’t received any funds yet? Try this:
Reach out to more people in your network: Have you contacted your extended family, neighbours, co-workers, social groups to support your cause? Have you shared your campaign on social media or contacted your local newspaper or radio station?
Interact with the online community: Depending on which social media platform you are most familiar with, share your campaign to different groups and forums in your area or that relate to your cause.
Share campaign updates: Post about your campaign more often on social media, through sharing updates, thanking your donors and sharing your fundraising milestones. You can also ask your BackaBuddy campaign manager to send an update to your donors.
