Caring People, South Africans

We hear a lot - every day - about South Africans showing disrespect and cruelty to other South Africans without a qualm of conscience. It makes misleading news because from where I’m standing most of us aren’t like that. We see that at Pikkewyntijes all the time. One day someone will bake cupcakes for the children and take them around for a treat after lunch or a couple will buy a case of pilchards at Makro and drop it off at the school tied up with ribbon.

Sometimes there will be a repair needed and a group of retired gentlemen will offer their somewhat shaky help to undertake the work - for love and a cup of tea. It may take a while but they’ll do a good job and there’ll be fun and games at playtime because they are all granddads.

Then there are those who give their time - to work in the second hand shop, to chair the management team, to sew costumes for the end-of-year concert, to fundraise and to come in the afternoons to ensure the children learn things like the traditional songs and games that are integral to their culture. No-one ever asks them to do these things. They do them because there’s a need and because South Africans respond to need. They keep doing them because of the warmth in the interaction of giving and receiving and South Africans thrive on the warmth of human relationships - just as they love the sun.