Robbed and abducted while doing charity work

CO-FOUNDER of local non-profit organisation, the Bright Eyes Trust in Musgrave, Cathryn Aylett, was recently the victim of a traumatic crime where she was robbed and abducted while conducting outreach work in Soweto, Inanda, outside the home of a beneficiary of the trust.

Aylett is well-known in the Durban community for her philanthropic work. Her organisation, the Bright Eyes Centre for visually impaired young children, provides highly specialised care and support and early intervention therapies to visually impaired little ones from birth to five years old.

Aylett said she was on an outreach trip to Inanda on April 15 at 18:30 when she and a friend were ambushed by five young males with firearms while she was getting into her car after delivering nappies and a food parcel. “Two of them removed my friend from the scene at gunpoint while the remaining three forced me into the passenger seat of my car. While pointing their guns at me, I was forced to cancel the panic button I had activated on my phone and show them how to operate my vehicle. At this stage, they drove off with me in the passenger seat. I realised that we were heading towards the main road, and I started begging them to let me go. The car was stopped, and I was told to get out. I ran back to my friend’s room to get help,” said Aylett.

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Aylett says she remembers running from where she was dropped off back to her friend’s room where she called her husband. “He phoned Kyle Van Reenen for help to get me from the scene to safety. It was incredibly frustrating as emergency numbers went unanswered or cut off. Our local security company couldn’t assist, and my husband couldn’t leave home as we have two small children.”

The wife and mother said reporting the incident was incredibly traumatic. “I am incredibly fortunate to be unharmed. Besides my body being in pain from squeezing myself over the centre console of my car and the expected trauma, I am incredibly thankful to have escaped unharmed.”

Aylett says the incident was reported at the Durban North Police Station. “It has been exceptionally challenging. I struggled for a few days before I was able to leave the house. I am incredibly tearful and frustrated. This is all made worse by the fact that I am unable to resume my normal routine. Without a vehicle, I cannot travel to work and back – our outreach projects have come to a standstill. I am incredibly reliant on my vehicle, and it has been a challenge without it.”

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If you would like to help Cathryn raise money for a new vehicle, any support can be directed to The Bright Eyes Trust. “We will need to look into purchasing a vehicle to continue with our outreach projects. If any members of the public would like to assist, we would only be too thankful,” said Aylett.

“The bank details are: The Bright Eyes Trust, First National Bank, Acc: 62619601257. We are a registered non-profit organisation with Section 18a status so we are able to provide tax receipts for all donations received,” said Aylett.

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