Dear Friends,
AAF’s annual fundraising event at Burnham Grove was a tremendous celebration of our “village” of supporters. The AAF Board and Fundraising Committee were delighted with the afternoon. Our special guest, Henry Olonga, captivated the audience with stories and song (and a few overs of cricket!). We heard testimonies from children and young people, reflecting on their journeys to some of the remote areas that AAF reaches.
Sharing about a recent episode of appendicitis, one of the children contemplated what it would have been like had he been in the dry African mountains facing appendicitis:
“I would have woken in pain on my grass mat on the floor. I would have been scared, as I could not turn on a light in a mud hut without electricity. Likewise, with no running water, I could not get a drink without taking a long walk to the river. I could not use a toilet because they don’t exist in a mud hut… unless a team member from AAF came down to help me, I know I would not have survived long… Vusi or Sizwe would have taken me to hospital and organised my surgery. One of them would have slept in the dirty hospital corridor, or under my bed, just to feed and toilet me. They would have whispered soft, encouraging words, and made me feel safe. They would have turned this chapter of my life into a life lesson – which would help me learn to be a man.”
The work of AAF is only possible because of the “village” of supporters who tirelessly give of themselves and their resources to keep nurturing and caring for the work of our team in Africa. Our team feels this love and support constantly, and is grateful to each and every one of you for “seeing them”.
Thank you to our many donors, both known and anonymous. May this newsletter give those of you unable to attend the afternoon tea a sense of what the event was like, and encourage you with the knowledge that your generous support is producing wonderful fruit!
“It takes a village to raise a child”
African Proverb
A special thanks to…
Burnham Grove Estate & The Chef and I
Save the date for next year! September 27th @ Burnham Grove Estate
