Good-Samaritans collab for warmth
The Fourways Main Reef Rotary Club have collaborated with humanitarian Angela Yeung to keep disadvantaged kids warm in winter.
About 15 years ago, Stephen Margo from Fourways found himself receiving a phone call from a group of individuals who were shivering and struggling to keep warm during winter.
Moved by their plight, Margo quickly rallied a group of kind-hearted Samaritans to raise donations of blankets and other warm items to help them stay cozy and comfortable through a blanket drive.
He is part of the Fourways Main Reef Rotary Club which an organisation that united people worldwide to provide humanitarian service. Margo faced a daunting task, but his compassionate nature and dedication fuelled his team to work tirelessly towards providing assistance to those in need.
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And years later, the blanket drive is still going strong. On May 1, the Rotarians donated 100 blankets to Angela Yeung, a philanthropist who became the first South African to reach the 8 163m summit of Mount Manaslu in the Himalayas in 2023.
The handover ceremony took place at Norscot Manor heritage site, adding to the significance of the occasion.
Margo said, “We sold about 350 blankets when we started 15 years ago. It was so successful that I decided to take it to the district. I wanted to open it to all the clubs and make it a district project.
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“We then formed a committee and called it a blanket drive. We opened it to all the Rotary clubs in the district. After gathering the blankets each club donates them to the charities of their choice and other institutions. Today we are donating these blankets to Angela Yeung because she is looking after disadvantaged kids in Katlegohong. These children live in a container and sleep on the concrete floor and with winter coming, they will freeze. So, we decided to lend a helping hand to keep them warm and fuzzy.”
Yeung expressed her desire to collaborate with the Rotary Club through her organisation, the Impilo Collection Foundation which is all about life, humanity and skills development among others.
During her interaction with the Rotarians, Yeung shared her mountaineering journey and the motivations behind it. Yeung climbs the highest mountains to fight against gender-based violence – something she said she is passionate about.
“We have been working with the centre in Katlehong since 2020 during Covid. Every time I go there, I see children sitting inside a container; they don’t have toys, and they have been sitting there all day playing with only three puzzles. So, for me, it’s really heartbreaking. It is hard to not step in and not doing something.”
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