Engelsman se Omgee | Xplorio Gansbaai
Engelsman se Omgee
Baie kan van werklike “omgee” by Jack Doyle en sy eggenote, Anita van Chester Le Street, Engeland geleer word. Jack het deur middel van sy vriende, Steve en Margi Muller van Franskraal, by etlike projekte in en om Gansbaai betrokke geraak. Hy is ‘n gholfspeler, waar hy die Mullers ontmoet het en gesê het hy wil graag iets vir die omgewing doen.
Verskeie projekte het spontaan ontstaan - telkens met borggeld en donasies wat hy “verwoed” in Engeland ingesamel het. Waarom? “I love this place, the people and what’s been done here to help poor communities!” Met hierdie sienswyse was Jack al by Silwerjare Dienssentrum, Oak Grove Nasorgsentrum, Gansbaai Primêr en Masakhane Primary School betrokke. Jack het verneem van Tommy Volkwyn, skoolhoof van Gansbaai Primêr se behoefte aan ‘n eie biblioteek.
Met nog ‘n belofte is hy terug na Engeland en rapporteer nou soos volg: “Following the announcement that a local school was to close, I was contacted by a friend who was sure the school would agree to giving me the entire library which I could then arrange to have transported to South Africa. The school agreed I could have the books, that was the easy bit! I then had to set about finding people who would ship the books out and people who would donate the shipment costs. A few phone calls later I had my shipping company, The Warrant Group Ltd, based in Liverpool, and the person I dealt with was Patrick Kilfoyle, who turned out to be extremely generous and helpful. At this time I hadn't the money to pay for the shipment, his company would still ship the books and they would accept payment when I could raise the cash. I began contacting friends asking for small donations, I then spoke to a business friend who mentioned to some of his associates what I was attempting to do and they came up with the rest of the money I needed. The rest as they say is history.”