The man most of us know as “The Equalizer” said, some years ago now,
“The most selfish thing you can do in this world, is help someone else.”
I’ve been thinking about this statement of his for a while, and honestly have never agreed with him more than i did at the end of a collaboration of mine earlier this year. Growing up, i always had a problem with “selfishness”. I thought it was one of the worst things I could be described as (probably due to my very selfless parents and their lessons but I digress). When I read this quote initially, i don’t think i actually understood it or even agreed with it. How could helping others, something i knew was good and strived to do, be selfish? Fast-forward a few years, and I’d like to submit a formal apology to Mr Washington for my previous naivety 🙂
It started when my best friend asked my what i wanted for my 21st birthday October of last year. After a beat of silence, i looked at her and answered with rather shocking honesty, “Nothing.”.
As an incredibly lucky young woman, there is truly nothing material that i want for, and most certainly nothing that i need at this stage of my life. I have been blessed almost too much in my 21 years and constantly given gifts by friend, family and loved ones. I decided (in a bit of a “road to Damascus” moment) to ask my loved ones for something of a little more substance than jewellery, books, flowers, or trinkets.
This year, i wanted to help people who hadn’t been lucky enough to receive 21 years of love and gifts and opportunities.
I began researching local NGOs, particularly those in areas of youth empowerment, education and mental and physical health. My brilliant and inspiring aunt, Elise Malherbe (Aunty Sleezy to me) does some amazing work with all sorts of different organisations and helped connect me with Help2Read.
From the H2R Website!
I grew up loving and breathing books and reading. It was something my father, and my Ouma and Oupa loved to do and something they shared with me from the moment i can remember anything. It was a blow to realize that, in my privileged ignorance, i hadn’t thought that this “reality” was in fact a luxury – one which i am only now truly understanding the power and beauty of. So – with a kind of burning in my chest – i decided this is something that i need to do. This is a organization committed to not only helping children learn to read, but learn to fall in love with it.
I wanted to help them do this.
So, i started a BackABuddy Campaign. For my 21st birthday, i would raise R21000 for Help2Read – to go towards books, stationary and revamping of a classroom. I got in touch with the wonderful team at H2R (seriously some of the most loving and awesome humans I’ve met), and began to plan. I asked my friends and family to, instead of giving whatever gift they may have to me – however big or small – to rather donate to the fund. Everyone rose to the challenge in a way that i still can’t truly comprehend and made me realize just how lucky i am in my life.
“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” — Malala Yousafzai
And so, with the help of my incredible village, some savings i had managed to pull together from sports coaching, and with a whole lot of blessings – we did it! R21450 was put towards 3 boxes STUFFED with stationary and different leveled reading books for the children at Nieuwedrift and another school in Simondium – both primary schools that Help2Read works with in Paarl. The remaining money i used to buy everything i would need to repaint one of the classrooms at Nieuwedrift to give it a bit of a lift (with the help of my amazing friends and the team at Help2Read).
This project was incredible. Going to the school and seeing the kids’ reaction to the freshly painted walls, and just someone taking the time to bring some extra effort and colour was indescribable. I can’t thank Hilre, Berenice, and the whole H2R crew, as well as my friends and loved ones, enough. Everyone who donated and helped these children to grow in their knowledge and love for reading – thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate you guys, my village, more than i can ever say.
The Help2Read team let me come and join in on World Read Aloud Day at the school this year- where i got to meet the kids, read to/with them and see the H2R team in action! What an incredible day it was and the kids themselves show such great progress in their literacy thanks to the program in place. I truly recommend checking this incredible organisation out – they are on social media and i have added their website above but you can find it here too!
I plan to go visit the school again soon, hopefully to engage with the kids and spend time interacting with them more fully! This is not the end of collaborating and there are some incredibly exciting projects on the horizon 🙂
I can’t adequately put into words how happy this project has already made me, and how inspired and passionate the work i see has made me for the future. Enriching our youth and giving them the skills and chances the need to flourish into themselves and their potential is such a vital goal and one that i have committed myself into supportng as best i can.
So Denzel, you were pretty on the mark there: The campaign, fundraising, hours painting and working with Help2Read felt incredible.
If you are reading this and have any questions regarding the process, how you can help this amazing cause, other NGOs in this space or suggestions/ideas – please, please, please reach out!
Otherwise, I leave you with a happy heart and best wishes - and hopefully a burning feeling to go out and help someone else in anyway you can.
Love and light - Lulu x
Wabi Sabi 
Leave a comment