In January 2022, Matthew Hahm (11), Thorne Davids (10) and Alex Jacobs (9), from Parkwood, Cape Town, heard a loud dog’s cry after a free-roaming dog chased Bruno, Thorne’s puppy into the road where he was knocked by a car.
Without hesitation, the three children put Bruno in a car seat and walked 2km, each carrying a side of the baby chair, to Cape of Good Hope SPCA, to help the pup who was traumatised and in a lot of pain.
“Thank you to the wonderful SPCA who are doing their magic to ensure that Bruno is brought back to health and to the families of these children for raising what can only be described as angels.” – says Anthea
Pictured above: Bruno in his baby car seat
‘These children are our future’
“These children showed us something so incredible – an act of kindness from which we could all learn something special.” – said Anthea Scholtz, a massive fan of SPCA’s work, who has since launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to reward the ‘Super Citizens.’
Since the launch of the campaign, over R16 000has been raised towards the fundraising target of R20 000 which will be used to purchase much-needed school uniforms and stationery for the boys (Matthew and Thorne) and girl (Alex), as well as treat them to a day of their dreams.
“We want to ensure that all three children and their families have what they need to keep nurturing what are already very special souls.”
“The funds raised will go toward showing these Super Citizens exactly how wonderful their deed was and to shine a truly positive light on Animal Rescue. It’s a small act of kindness like this that adds up to something far greater than we could imagine. Let’s reward those that do so much good. These children are our future.” – says Anthea
Anthea has asked that funds raised be administered by BackaBuddy NPC, to ensure that funds are used for their intended purpose, and to provide full transparency with donors. Donors will be updated on the children’s progress, says Anthea.
A few messages from the 39 donors who have supported the children thus far.
“Thanks for inspiring us to take better care of our animal friends!” – Joseph O
“Well done boys, please stay the kind angels that you are protecting animals, Thank you to SPCA” – Danni
“So happy that these wonderful children have shown such kindness. I hope that their parents are beyond proud. ” – Caro Beggin
“So proud of you for taking responsibility and care for your puppy. May you all be blessed x” – Caryn Kennedy
“Such mercy, kindness and compassion displayed by these gentle little souls.” – Raksha
Update: Fun in the Sun
On Saturday 12 Feb 2022 the team at Super Citizens spent the most wonderful time taking the families of Thorne, Matthew, Alex and puppy Bruno out on the day of their dreams.
A sailing experience for eighteen people started the day of fun by spotting dolphins and other beautiful sea life. Add to that Ferris wheel rides and a day filled with great food – it all amalgamated into what was simply a beautiful experience.
The stationery has been delivered to the children and their uniforms are all ready for collection. This has served as a truly wonderful project to thank the three children for an unforgettable deed for their dog, Bruno.
Credits:
Waterfront Charters for the sailing experience
Bluebird Bespoke Travel for the chauffeured luxury vehicles for the families
Marc Shane Berman for the photography on the day
John Sanei, Shinnai Visser
Tarryn Kelly & Sanela Paisley (Super Citizens team) for all the help in networking to raise funds
Create a crowdfunding campaign
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 R290 Million.
Despite being diagnosed ‘profoundly deaf’ at birth and ‘clinically blind’ at the age of 48, Jennifer Pretorius (59) who lives in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, has always been determined to lead a full life.
At the age of 6, unable to attend mainstream school due to developmental issues, Jenny was sent to the Dominican Grimley School for the deaf in Cape Town, where she says the nuns cried when she couldn’t say her name.
Defying all odds, Jenny learned to speak without deaf sign language, and caught up to her classmates academically in just two years, with the help of speech therapy.
Jenny at 2-and-a-half years old – St Vincent School for the Deaf.
Although Jenny was thriving at school, another curveball came her way, when at the age of 10-years-old, her tennis teacher noticed she was having difficulty with her hand-eye coordination.
She was later taken to an optometrist, who noticed black spots in her retinas, but wasn’t able to give her a diagnosis.
Despite her worsening eyesight, Jenny never gave up on her love for sports as she got older. She played tennis, cricket, netball, badminton, hockey and could even ride her bicycle in those days.
“Nobody realised how bad my eye condition was. I just took on everything I wanted to do like all the other children did, and my parents encouraged me to take on new challenges.” says Jenny
A devasting diagnosis
At the age of 18, shortly after completing matric with exemption, Jenny was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa an incurable genetic retinal disease, which causes tunnel vision and night blindness. Combined with her lack of hearing Jenny is said to suffer from Usher Syndrome.
In her young adult life, Jenny joined the Navy as an administration civilian, ran for Defence and Fish Hoek Athletic Club, participated in half marathons, and rode horses at the Glencairn Equestrian Centre.
Jenny at 25-years-old – Foschini Half Marathon in Green Point
Sadly, as Jenny’s eyesight deteriorated further, one by one she had to let go of her passions including photography, as she would often fall down, accidents became more frequent, or she would be knocked by cars while walking.
After nearly 33 years of service in the Navy, Jenny was medically boarded in 2013 when her peripheral vision got so bad that she was unable to perform her office duties.
Adjusting to a new world
After being told by doctors that she needed to prepare for a life of total blindness and deafness, new hope came in the form of a life-changing cochlear implant that Jenny had inserted in 2019.
The device partially restored Jenny’s hearing – a major feat, considering that for 57 years she lived life in total silence.
With the help of the implant, and Jenny’s faithful companion, her beloved guide dog, Kaine, by her side, Jenny gained a little more important independence and was able to better navigate her surroundings and overcome daily challenges.
Jenny with her guide dog, Kaine
The pair were inseparable for 8 years until he passed away of liver cancer in August 2021.
“I was very excited to have a guide dog as my other half and companion. He was my eyes and ears. We were inseparable. He saved me numerous times when walking on the streets, especially when crossing the roads. With the sudden loss of my right-hand man last year, I felt incapacitated, lost, lonely, and vulnerable. He had a massive impact on my life giving me independence and security.” – says Jenny
Learning Braille will help Jenny stay connected
Without Kaine by her side, Jenny is afraid to walk alone, as it is difficult for her to distinguish between sounds. For the time being, Jenny’s life partner, Gerald has taken over the role of Jenny’s eyes and ears.
Jenny and her partner, Gerald
To make Jenny’s life a little easier, as her eyesight is currently less than 2%, and it would take about 3 years to get a fully trained guide dog to take Kaine’s place, her friend Debbie Holmes has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to help Jenny learn braille.
“I met Jenny about 6 years ago in our local dog park. Kaine and my labbie Rambo, were quick friends and would spend hours playing together. While Jenny and I struggled to communicate at first, I soon learned that she could lip-read, and then we just clicked and she crept into my heart” – says Debbie
Jenny and Debbie share a special bond
As Jenny is now no longer able to read print books and newspapers, a device called the Braille Mantis Q40, estimated to cost R56 000 (about $3,600) including shipping from overseas, is what Jenny desperately needs to stay in touch with her loved ones and the world around her.
Since the launch of the campaign almost R100 000($6555) has been raised towards Jenny’s fundraising target of R180 000 ($11 800) with kind contributions from 49 donors both locally and internationally.
Braille Mantis Q40
With funds raised thus far, Debbie has purchased Jenny a 6dot Braille label maker, Dolphin magnifier, a Braille and screen reader PC program and a few other gadgets, to make Jenny’s life easier while she waits for her Braille Mantis Q40.
Any additional funds will be used for speech therapy sessions that Jenny is currently unable to afford.
“Jenny does not let her daily struggles and challenges define her, she has a beautiful soul and a kind, caring nature. I have never met someone who is so resilient and so passionate about life. No matter what she is going through, she always has a smile on her face and is grateful for each day. I hope the public will support me in helping Jen” – says Debbie
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 R300 Million.
In 2018, 45-year-old, Sheehama Onesmus fell victim to a crime when his vehicle was stolen outside his house in Imizamo Yethu (Mandela Park) in Hout Bay.
Sheehama started Sky Transport just over four years ago, a small transport business that supports his partner, Sue Anne (31), his 2 daughters, Saskia (16), Ningeni (9) and his son, Tulonga (4).
After receiving a tip-off, his vehicle, which he uses for work, was eventually found in Gugulethu, but to his dismay, his vehicle was stripped, burnt to a crisp and then abandoned.
After receiving a tip-off, his vehicle, which Sheehama uses for work, was eventually found in Gugulethu stripped and burnt to a crisp.
Hoping to restore Sheehama’s livelihood and get him back on his feet, fellow Capetonian, Pierre De Wet (43), who ownsAnything Goes Furniture decided to do something special for his friend and transport provider.
“Sheehama is more than just the guy with a truck who moves furniture, he has become my friend and has really helped me grow my business. This week his livelihood was stripped from him when his truck was stolen, and with it went his business and means of looking after his family. ” – says De Wet
Sheehama Onesmus and Pierre De Wet outside Anything Goes Furniture in Cape Town.
Pierre launched a campaign on donations based crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy which raised over R56 000, thanks to the contributions from 54 generous donors.
This helped Sheehama purchase a new truck and he got to keep his business.
We caught up with Pierre De Wet who’d love to share his gratitude to the generous donors.
Not only is Sheehama’s business back, but it is rocking. I speak to him almost every single day to arrange collections or deliveries for my shop. I honestly don’t know what I would do without him!
“Thank you again to each and every one of you for what you did for Sheehama, and I’m so happy to report that thanks to you, he can continue to provide for his family and run a business that he is not only good at, but that he does with pride.” says Pierre
To further support, if anyone needs anything transported or collected in the Cape Town area please contact Sheehama – 0743808113.
Thank you to the 54 incredible donors who supported Sheehama in purchasing a new truck and helped him keep his business.
Joanie & Clyde Smith | WilliamReith | Chatz Charity | DanielleGair | O Donovan | Bobby Perel | Ruby’s Cottage | Schopman Marijke | Connock Mary | Damien de Gouveia| Chris Cheetham | Gillespie Shirley | The Warners | KellyPhelps | Bartlett Anon | Scheepers Anon | de Klerk Disco + fam | Mary Jakins | Holmes Ryan and Paula | De Ferry Luisa | Cheetham | Neumann Debbie | KarinNeill | Finnemore Lindsay | Raubenheimer Nate | Rainbow Dreams Trust | Fedder Linda | Teague Nicola | Alexander Desmond | Campbell John | Hall Trevor | Piet Du Preez | Lindley Stuart | Maierhofer Petra | Carmen Potgieter | Adler Warren | Tee Louise | Joshua Brown | Marais Chane | Belinda Louw | McCleland Jess | Schneider Katherine & Frank | Lizet Meyer | LisaGoosen | Deary L | Stumpf Rudi&Marise | William & Walter De Wet | Vicci Butler | Du Plessis Keith | Monja Conradie | Margit Roberts | Joan De Wet | Catherine Du Plooy
Steve Lewis (62), a semi-retired professional Engineer from Pretoria, South Africa, has his heart set on building a home for his gardener of over 25 years, Abel Shabangu (53), who is a dear friend of the family.
Despite his diligent work ethic, Abel has only managed to build a simple tin shack with access to water, sewage, and electricity, for his wife and 3 children on the small property he owns in Soshanguve, due to limited financial resources.
The home Abel built for his family in Soshanguve, Gauteng.
A house to make a home
18 months ago, Abel asked Steve for his help, to design and help build a comfortable home for his family, and Steve gladly accepted.
“For as long as I can remember, Abel has had a dream to give his family a home they can be proud of and stay safe in. He is a hardworking, honest, upstanding family man that does everything he can to raise his family in the best way possible,” says Steve
Abel and his family.
Having secured R100 000 ($6500) of his own funds to make the family’s dream a reality, Steve enthusiastically started drawing up the plans.
To help cover the shortfall of R45,000 ($2800) needed to build a small, 3 bedroom brick house, Steve launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, which has already raised R33 000 ($2100), thanks to generous donations from donors both locally and abroad.
With experience in managing building projects, Steve will oversee the building project free of charge, and has already found a reliable builder who lives close to Abel.
Funds raised by the campaign will soley be used to cover the cost of the builder and his materials. Any additional funds will be used to furnish the home and improve on the simple finishings that are currently planned for the house.
Thank you to the 22 incredible donors who are supporting Steve in building Abel and his family’s home.
Thanks so much for your donation. We are making good progress towards our target. Your generosity has made all the difference. We are also investigating if Abel can get a government subsidy on the building of the house. With all this goodwill the dream will definitely come true.– says Steve
Update
Thank you to all those who have contributed to this project to build Abel a house. We managed to get sufficient funds to start the project this month. We built the foundations last week and we have started with the walls this week.
We have enough money for the basic house and the electrical services.
However, there will not be enough for plumbing and the ceiling. If you are interested in helping further. The basic plumbing will cost about R17 000 and the ceiling will cost about R6 000.
Any donations would be very welcome.
Support Abel’s campaign by donating 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 R290 Million.
Pictured above: A Cape Town family was involved in a serious car accident in Johannesburg
On the 28th of December 2021, Gerhard van Niekerk (29), his fiancé Madelein van Zyl (27), and their two sons, Gregory (4) and Luke (8 weeks), were involved in a devastating car accident while on holiday in Johannesburg over the festive season.
Driving on the N12 at about 5:30 pm, the family was allegedly hit by another motorist on the rear left side of their Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Moments later, Gerhard lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a hill.
Pictured above: A devastating car crash has changed this family’s life forever
While Gerhard and Gregory suffered minor injuries from the crash, Madelein suffered multiple serious injuries, as most of the impact was on the passenger side, where she was sitting.
Doctors initially reported injuries to Madelein’s leg, shoulder, nose, cheekbone, and ribs – after further scans and x-rays the doctors concluded that she had broken her elbow, ankle and her C2 and C3 neck vertebrae as well.
Tragically, baby Luke was declared brain dead and lost his life at 11pm that evening, leaving a sizable void in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.
Pictured above: 8 week old baby Luke was declared brain dead after the accident and later passed away
Helping the family heal
As the family fights bravely through their hurt and heartache, Bianca Weygandt (31) a family friend, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, to support the van Niekerk’s with their mounting medical bills, as they don’t have medical aid.
Since leaving ICU, Madelein’s elbow has been operated on, and a procedure on her ankle might need to be performed.
As the injury to her neck is known as a ‘stable break’, fortunately, no operation is required. Her nose, cheekbone, and ribs will also heal with time, doctors say.
Pictured above: Before the accident: Madelein, Gerhard and their son Gregory
Since the launch of the campaign, over R43 000 has been raised on BackaBuddy to support the family through this difficult time, with contributions from 107 donors both locally and abroad.
Additional funds raised will be used to cover the costs of Luke’s funeral, and the physical, emotional, and psychological treatment they will need to heal from their life-changing ordeal.
“We as a family would like to thank each and every person for their prayers, support, donations, and sharing our story! I would like to urge everyone, spend time with your loved ones, tell them you love them – time is precious – it cannot be replaced and memories are all we have in the end. I had a very special bond with my boy, Luke, in the short time God lent him to us, we loved him so much! We will miss him – every day. Also, drive safely and be alert on the roads – our life was changed in an instant” – says Gerhard.
Support Gerhard & Madelein by making a donation on BackaBuddy:
“We arrived back in Gordon’s Bay on the 14th of January 2022, Luke has been cremated and his ashes are now with us, as soon as we are ready we will arrange a memorial service for our precious baby boy.
Madelein must still have the operation done on her ankle and we had an appointment on 27th of January to see the doctors at Helderberg Hospital, we had some good news which brings us a lot of relief, Madelein might not need an operation on her ankle, the doctors are happy with how the bones are mending.
But, we do not have medical aid and the costs thus far have been adding up, the BackaBuddy campaign will go a long way to helping us cover the medical costs in Gauteng and all other revolving costs such as physiotherapy for Madelein and as a family we feel it best if we see a psychologist to help us emotionally process what has happened.
The costs thus far for the admittance to Netcare, one night’s stay in the ICU at Netcare, X-Rays and CT scans for both Madelein and Luke amount to about R62 000, this does not include the specialists and doctors that saw us or the operation done on Madelein’s arm at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
At this stage it is hard to give an exact amount because we are waiting on invoices from the doctors, specialists and hospitals but we estimate the total cost to be around R150 000. Madelein’s other injuries are recovering very well and under the circumstances we are doing okay.” – says Gerhard
Create a crowdfunding campaign
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.
