By: Alison Alexander
Rainbow of Hope orphanage in the Cape Town area of South Africa provides a place of care, safety, love and nourishment for 12 babies and children who would otherwise have no real hope of survival.
Their project manager, Alison Alexander, reported the following set of events to us:
I received a text message to ask if I could help with goods for a crèche (preschool) which started in an informal settlement called Bonny Toun of Rosemead Avenue. We started packing stuff and putting in all our excess like scrap paper, reading books, pencil crayons, etc. The Thursday before we were to drop it off, I felt this pang of guilt at how we had given only from our excess and not what WE felt WE needed to give. By that evening, we had emptied ALL our containers and had given ALL of our supplies that we had received as donations. Friday, the kids and two volunteers delivered the goods and you can imagine the children’s delight when they received not only used goods but lots of brand new goods as well!
Then, not even a week later, we received a call from an American couple, Ken Smith and his wife, asking for directions to our home. This couple was staying at a Bed n Breakfast in Welgemoed and had chosen to pack for a purpose. They came here and imagine my awe when I found out they had 10kg of school supplies to donate to Rainbow House supported by Cape Splendour Tours! To crown it all, most of the goods they donated were the goods we had given away! It was an awesome experience.
Pack for a Purpose is grateful that many travelers choose to go the extra mile, literally, to drop off supplies. While the website is designed to make it easy for travelers to bring supplies, we are very appreciative for the many travelers not staying at one of our lodgings or using a tour company on our website who choose to pack for a purpose any way. Your extra effort makes a Big Impact!