It takes a village to raise a child

The above title is no cliche and neither is it by chance that it is an African proverb. I witnessed it first hand over the month of May as I visited all our volunteer projects along the Garden Route. Our Community Children’s Project is located in the heart of a village, called the Kurland Village. Kurland Village is a rural township located in the Crags, 20 km from Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Plettenberg Bay and other towns along the Garden Route have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of these towns depend on revenue from tourism. There is no doubt that Kurland Village was struck hard with the advent of a harsh lockdown and many jobs were lost due to local businesses not being able to operate. The children and the elderly were amongst the worst affected members of this community. While parents were able to actively search for new or temporary employment to keep families going, the grandparents were forced to care for their grandchildren and the children of relatives.

Fortunately for Kurland Village they had a friend indeed, with the Friends of Kurland Foundation coming to their rescue. Friends of Kurland aims to uplift the community by improving their welfare and they are also very passionate about uplifting the youth through sports and recreation. Since our Community Childrens’ Project volunteers always offer a helping hand to the friends of Kurland, I did the same during my visit to this project.

I assisted with food preparation and distribution to the community members 3 times a week at the feeding scheme initiated and supported by the Friends of Kurland. The daily average of people dependent on these meals ranges from 150 to just over 200. I welcomed the fact that I had the time and opportunity to be a part of and contribute towards such an imperative cause.
It was here where I realized the true meaning of the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child”. This proverb in a South African context is linked to our famous principle of ubuntu. In Kurland Village, it is surely true that the success of a child depends on the community and those who extend a helping hand.

This realization can also be a life lesson that can always be applied to humanity. There is also a feeling of great relief knowing that our Community Children’s Project volunteers will always be involved in the community upliftment of Kurland Village. Their time at the project will be well spent and their hearts will continue to grow in kindness.

Yours,
Edward Julius (Support Coordinator)
The Good Hope Volunteer Team

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