Extraordinary Dads - Abraham Kriel
In an organization focusing on the care and development of children, there are often a scarcity of dads. Those that we do have are quite extraordinary men.
Dads are incredibly important in a healthy society. Research has clearly shown that the presence of a dad will give a child a much better sense of identity and their place in the world. With these examples of caring fatherhood, we celebrate all the wonderful dads out there.
Jerry drives the children to school on a daily basis – when there is school of course. He has a quiet dignity that give many highly excitable or fearful children the reassurance that they are safe with him. What a wonderful gift!
Pierre is a housefather at a satellite house and he is a Math wizard. He also has the ability to teach mathematics in such a way that a girl can understand it. He makes it fun and the kids that come to him for help improve their marks considerably.
Morgan has a little girl, who is his princess, but that has never stopped him from being there for other kids. He plays cricket with them and he teaches them to pray. He accompanied the driver of the food truck on the food parcel deliveries to communities. This was his experience.
“We were distributing bread in Slovoville and word spread quickly. About 30 minutes in a granny, probably in her 80’s and walking on crutches, arrived in search of a loaf of bread. It broke my heart to see this fragile granny so dependent on a loaf of bread to feed herself and her family. People were begging us not to cut off the queue, as it represented their only meal for the day. It made me realise that hunger is real.”
Our driver, Sindisiwe, is well known in the Westbury community and with the network of contacts he has built up, he ensures that our delivery trucks can move about safely. He used to drive the same route every day to deliver meals to the children on our programmes. Cheerful greetings follow him all along the way. The kids that receive food parcels are very fond of him and disappointed that he does not allow hugs right now.
Packson is an auxiliary social worker. He is deeply involved with the children in community services. Nothing gives him greater pleasure than to see the kids succeed and make something of themselves.
You will never catch David without a smile. As senior maintenance man on the Langlaagte campus he can do just about anything from fixing a tap to hanging a door. The boys on campus look up to him.
Paul, is our CEO and a natural leader. He is the Big Daddy and most people are a bit in awe of him. He is a disciplined man, however he can be trusted to be the champion of a loving approach to the staff and beneficiaries of the organization.
We are grateful to have these wonderful men in our lives. They enrich the organization. We could not mention all of them even though they are not many. We salute you and all the Daddies out there that make the world a safer place where children can be their best selves.
In ‘n organisasie waar die fokus is op die grootmaak en ontwikkeling van kinders, is daar dikwels ‘n skaarste aan vaderfigure. Die wat daar is, is buitengewone mans.
Pa’s is ontsaglik belangrik in ‘n gesonde samelewing. Navorsing toon dat ‘n pa se teenwoordigheid sorg vir ‘n kind se sin van identiteit en sy/haar plek in die wêreld. Ons het ‘n klompie voorbeelde van pa’s wat omgee en met hulle vier ons al die wonderlike pappas daar buite.
Jerry neem elke dag die kinder skool toe – natuurlik wanneer hulle skooltoe mag gaan. Hy is ‘n stil en waardige man, wat die vermoë het om angstige en ooraktiewe kinders die versekering te gee dat hulle veilig is by hom. Dit is ‘n wonderlike gawe!
Pierre is huisvader by ‘n satelliethuis en hy is ook ‘n uitstekende wiskunde onderwyser. Hy verduidelik sodat ‘n kind verstaan. Hy maak wiskunde pret en die kinders wat by hom ekstra klasse kry se punte verbeter met rasse skrede. Morgan se dogter is sy prinses, maar dit het hom nog nooit gestop om daar te wees vir ander kinders nie. Hy speel krieket met hulle en leer hulle bid. Hy het die kos trok vergesel met die aflewering van kospakkies in die gemeenskap en het die volgende vertel:
“Die nuus dat ons brood uitdeel in Slovoville het gou versprei. Sowat 30 minute later het ‘n oumatjie in haar 80’s op haar krukke aangesukkel gekom, op soek na ‘n brood. Dit het my hart gebreek om die ou dame te sien wat so afhanklik is van ‘n brood om vir haar en haar gesin te voed. Mense het ons gesmeek vir meer, want dit het die enigste maaltyd verteenwoordig wat hulle daardie dag sou kon kry. Ek het besef die hongerte is wreed en werklik.”
Ons drywer, Sindisiswe, is goed bekend in die Westbury gemeenskap en met sy netwerk van kontakte verseker hy dat ons afleweringsvoertuie veilig kan rondbeweeg. Voorheen het hy daagliks dieselfde roete gery om maaltye by die kinders op ons program se huise af te lewer. Waar hy gaan groet mense vriendelik. Die kinders wat baie lief is vir hom, is teleurgestel dat hy tans nie drukkies toelaat nie.
Packson is ‘n hulp-maatskaplike werker. Hy is nou betrokke by die kinders in ons gemeenskapsorg programme. Niks gee hom groter plesier as om te sien hoe die kinders sukses bereik en iets van hulleself maak nie.
David is nooit sonder ‘n glimlag op sy gesig nie. As senior onderhoudsbeampte, staan sy hande vir niks verkeerd nie. Hy kan enigiets van ‘n lekkende kraan regmaak tot ‘n deur hang. Uiteraard het die seuns op kampus ‘n bewondering vir hom.
Paul is ons Uitvoerende Hoof en ‘n natuurlike leier. As die groot ‘pappa’ het almal groot ontsag vir hom. Hy word gekenmerk as gedissiplineerd, maar kinders en personeel vertrou sy liefdevolle benadering en eerlike bestuurstyl.
Ons is dankbaar om wonderlike mans in ons organisasie te hê. Hulle is ons kinders se rolmodelle. Daar is nog ‘n paar, maar die plek is net te min.
Ons salueer ons Pa’s en al die ander ‘pappas’ wat die wêreld ‘n veiliger plek maak vir kinders om hul volle potensiaal te ontwikkel.