"My passion for sculpting goes along with a passion for seeing children and youth cared for and empowered so that they in turn can live powerful lives, shaping and enriching the community's around them.
Here are some of the life changing organisations that I have the privilege of partnering with."
Agape Children's home: Grabouw, Western Cape: This is a very special facility that looks after orphans and handicapped children in my home town. They have grown from 1 small site to more than 4 homes looking after children from new born's to young adults who have been orphaned, abandoned or rejected by the community. They are uniquely parented by the founding couple Gerrit and Amie Coetzee and their family who have themselves adopted a number of the children into their family.
The UNISA HIV/AIDS Children's Memorial was created in collaboration with six children from Agape whose full body portraits I sculpted. We collaborated closely in the unique design of each of the flying birds that comprise this monument. My family and I remain involved with them in a variety of ways.
Make a Difference Leadership Foundation (MAD): Nation wide, South Africa: MAD has grown from a charity that identified, educated and mentored children from disadvantaged communities through sport, to its current form as a leadership foundation. MAD is now able to takes on young people with drive and talent from high school to postgraduate level, both educating and mentoring them to ensure their growth and success in the South African arena's of sports, business and politics. In other words, helping them to become the game changers of South Africa and Africa. Sadly without this programme many such children could unnoticed. I have been partnering with them since 2013 by means of donating key sculptures. These are auctioned locally and internationally with all proceeds invested into the young Leadership Foundation ambassadors. Take a closer look at: http/madleadership.org.
Chefs who Share - The Art of Giving: This fantastic yearly event raises funding for select charities by way of staging a extraordinary yearly Gala and pre-events. Chefs Who Share harnesses the expertise of some of the most acclaimed national and international chefs who, along with entertainers and auctioneers of excellence, provide a dining experience like no other. Artists and Sponsors make their donations available for auction and each year is a sell-out event. All proceeds from seat ticket sales and auctioned items are invested in on-the-ground, life changing charities.
I have been involved with Chefs Who Share since 2014.
Take a closer look at: www.chefswhoshare.com and www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uetu7JjNnQ.
Please consider supporting this event.
Life Matters Foundation: I had the privilege of being invited to partner with this profoundly caring organisation in 2012 and 2013. Their mission is to provide literacy, numeracy, counseling and life skills support to school children in underprivileged communities. They operate year round and have grown from strength to strength.
Take a closer look at: http://lifemattersfoundation.org/.
I AM WATER Ocean Foundation: I AM WATER believes in ocean conservation through transformative ocean experience. Their mission is to ignite a movement of blue minds across the planet, to facilitate physical and emotional connections to the aquatic environment, to build understanding of the interdependence of healthy humans and healthy oceans and to influence behaviors to protect our global seas. They endeavour to insure that everyone, from the most powerful to the most powerless in the global community experience phenomenal ocean education in order to ensure that the Ocean is loved and thus preserved by all. They deserve every bit of support we can muster. The Oceans are our future. Please give them a closer look at www.iamwaterfoundation.org.
Operation Healing Hands: Operation Healing Hands is a charity initiative organized by a group of doctors and other medical professiona in the private sector who give back to the community. Together with many wonderful sponsors and service providers, The Operation Healing Hands team are responsible for changing the lives of many patients who would never have been able to afford the medical care they required. Established in 2016, the aim of Operation Healing Hands is to provide life-changing surgeries to patients in need while fulfilling the ethical responsibility of the private healthcare sector in closing the socioeconomic gap of patients in need of surgery. www.ohhsa.net
Envisionit Bursary Foundation: Established in 2011, the Envisionit Bursary Foundation has funded 6 graduates and is currently sponsoring the tertiary education of 26 students. Bursaries are awarded to students who have excelled at school but don’t have the financial means to continue their tertiary education. They focus their bursaries on sectors of the economy where they recognise significant skills shortages. www.envisionitgroup.net.