Derrick Grootboom Canon Collins Educational & Legal Assistance Trust (CCELAT) Alumnus
Channel: Derrick Grootboom
Date: 2019-06-14

In this video I, Derrick Grootboom tell the story of my relationship with the International Defence and Aid Fund (IDAF) who financially and morally since 1963 supported thousands of arrested anti-apartheid activists such as the revered Nelson Mandela and I during our arrests, trials, conviction and imprisonment with money raised outside South Africa to pay for our lawyers, to assist our families and our studies inside prison. 

This form of financial support continued in the form of the Canon Collins Educational & Legal Assistance Trust (CCELAT), founded in the name of a founding member of IDAF, Canon John Collins; which Trust (CCELAT) administered the Nelson Mandela Scholarship granted to 12 others and I 2005 assisting me to complete between 2006 to 2008 my Master of Laws (LLM) degree at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. 

Thus from before my birth 1963 (IDAF) to after my release from prison (1991) and studies oversea 2006 (CCELAT) helped made me as human rights activist to be a responsible citizen that is able and capable to contribute to the building of the Constitutional Democracy South Africa is today.

CCELAT continues to help every year many students from the continent of Africa to complete their degree studies in various fields with additional support of exposing them annually in conference to discuss and deliberate the challenges they may face in practice building their respective countries and realising the safe, prosperous Africa of our collective dream.   

The video was commissioned and signed-off by the Canon Collins Educational & Legal Assistance Trust under the direction and production of the most able and capable Communication Specialist Mrs Catherine Sofianos. 

Any support, financially or otherwise directly attributed to this video is for and should be directed to the Canon Collins Educational & Legal Assistance Trust (CCELAT).  

The video recordings took place 17 and 18 May 2019 at my residence in Malmesbury, my workplace Malmesbury Magistrate Court and on Robben Island (to which I have lost my heart long ago).