Safe Spaces, Lasting Care

When I returned to South Africa in 2011 after spending 11 years living and working in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, I wanted to use my experience to make a difference closer to home.

After more than 20 years with Shell International, my husband and I spent a year volunteering. I taught children at the Homestead Street Children's Shelter to swim, took them on outings and became involved in community projects. That year showed me how rewarding it is to see the direct impact you can have on someone's life.

When the opportunity to join Breadline Africa came along in 2014, it immediately felt like the right fit. What attracted me was that the organisation's work was so tangible. Dangerous pit toilets became safe sanitation, neglected early learning centres became welcoming spaces, and libraries became places of imagination and opportunity.

What has kept me at Breadline Africa for the past 12 years is the people and the purpose. Every project reminds me that something as simple as a safe toilet, an early learning centre or a library can change a child's experience of education.

The most rewarding moments are the handovers. Seeing children run into their new facilities for the first time, and watching the relief and pride on the faces of teachers and principals who have often waited years for these improvements, never gets old.

I am incredibly fortunate to work alongside an exceptional team and Board at Breadline Africa who share the same passion and commitment. We are united by one goal: giving children safe places to learn and grow. That purpose makes what we do feel less like work and more like a privilege.

A few years ago, our Chairman said something that has stayed with me ever since: "The day you lose the spring in your step is the day it's time to stop." Thankfully, I'm still springing and still learning.

None of this would be possible without organisations that choose to stand alongside us. Partners such as LottoStar and The Star Foundation have helped turn hope into reality for thousands of children. Every school transformed is the result of people coming together with a shared belief that every child deserves a safe, dignified place to learn.