Bobby and Karlien van Jaarsveld show charitable side in new reality show

Wednesday night was the first episode of Bobby van Jaarsveld and sister Karlien van Jaarsveld’s reality TV show In Jou Skoene (In Your Shoes) on Afrikaans lifestyle channel VIA.

The brother and sister team aren’t strangers to reality TV. While husky-voiced Bobby returns to his judge’s seat for the second season of MNet’s The Voice this year, Karlien is set to star in the latest season of Tropica Island of Treasure with Siv Ngesi, Zakeeya Patel, Maurice Paige, EmTee, Anga Makubalo and Jessica Nkosi in April. The pop princess also won the eighth season of SABC 3’s Strictly Come Dancing back in 2015.

However, In Jou Skoene’s concept sees the two spend 48 hours in the shoes of someone whose world is completely different from their own. Their emotional adventures are, however, not always just about walking in someone else’s shoes but also about making a difference to people’s lives.

The show also features their family members who challenge them to alter their lives. Their sister, Cara, for example, challenges them to exchange their glamorous lives in Pretoria East for two days in the underprivileged neighbourhood of Elandspoort where they must feed themselves and others on a budget of R100.

Bobby’s father, Bob Snr, challenges the two to help a rhino protection team, while their mother, Ronel, sends Karlien off on a taxi to spend a weekend with a domestic worker.

While they introduce a range of causes during the show, viewers have the opportunity to make a real difference. Through Candystick – South Africa’s digital and social platform for fund collection – viewers can donate money to some of the causes featured.

Five causes paired with campaigns to raise funds on Candystick:

• Episode 1: Viewers are invited to help the children of the Abraham Kriel home featured in the episode.
• Episode 3 (January 25): The brother and sister pay a visit to the residents of the underprivileged neighbourhood of Elandspoort near Danville. Candystick donations will go to a foundation dedicated to South Africans living in poverty.
• Episode 5 (February 8): The two meet Andries Douglas, who has made uplifting the people of Ceres his mission.
• Episode 8 (March 1): Viewers can help rhinos by contributing to Stop Rhino Poaching.
• Episode 10 (March 15): Viewers get to know Dr Liana Roodt of Groote Schuur Hospital and her Project Flamingo initiative which is giving women with breast cancer a second chance.

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