African Community Outreach – Helping People, Changing Lives

African Community Outreach, a non-profit organisation dedicated in supporting families in need, has received a donation of £3,000 from The Pavers Foundation. The donation has personally been initiated by Rachel & Stuart Paver, Managing Director of Pavers Shoes.

 

African Community Outreach was set up by a husband and wife team, Hamish and Terri, from the farming community surrounding Vaalwater, a 3 hour drive from South Africa’s capital, Johannesburg. Many members of the community are affected by poverty, unemployment, malnutrition and disease.

 

The charity focuses on helping vulnerable people and those in need by providing food, transportation for children to attend school alongside funding uniforms, stationary packs and medical care. One of the charity's main focuses is to look after and support the many widows and orphans that have been left by the terrible aids crisis in Vaalwater. Often they witness large numbers of women, many whom are elderly, who have been left to look after small children and teenagers. They also see a lot of children responsible for raising their siblings or cousins. In many cases these young “parents” are found begging for food from neighbours.

 

Stuart Paver said:

 

"Rachel and myself met this lovely Scottish couple in south Africa 10 years ago who had sold their farm and created a feeding station and orphanage for hungry and orphaned children.

They have dedicated their life without any thought for their own circumstances to helping vulnerable children and orphans".

 

African Community Outreach rely heavily on donations from the general public, businesses and the commercial sector.

 

The donation of £3,000 from the Pavers Foundation will be used to support 16 year old, Emmanuel, through his next year at school.

 

Emmanuel was put into care after being abandoned at just 5 months old. After recently missing school due to illness, Emmanuel is in need of some educational support and extra tuition.

 

The donation will cover Emmanuel’s school fees, tuition, uniforms, stationary pack and books, as well as sports clothing for mandatory tennis. A laptop and suitable software will also be provided.  

 

The Pavers Foundation is overjoyed to be able to support Emmanuel and African Community Outreach - such an empowering cause that is dedicated to helping so many in need.