TZANEEN: Louise was asked to ‘Do Something’ and so she did…
Louise Batty, an Australian by birth’s journey with God and helping needy children all began after she received a special message in a church in Malawi.
On the outskirts of Tzaneen, nestled in the Wolkberge, stays a woman who was asked to “Do Something”, and so she did.
Louise Batty, an Australian by birth’s journey with God and helping needy children all began after she received a special message in a church in Malawi.
“While listening to a sermon I saw golden lettering appear above the pastors head. These golden letters relayed a message from God through which He was telling me what my future holds,” Louise told Northern Review.
She began her journey in White River Africa School of Missions in 2000.
Here she paid to work in a Government clinic for a year. In 2002 she came back to RSA as an Australian Volunteer through Australian Volunteers International and started working with home-based care in Greater Tzaneen.
“After a situation analysis with Home Based Care Volunteers who worked in Greater Tzaneen in 2003, I was asked to “Do Something!” However, a great challenge awaited as I only had 24 months to develop and implement a programme to assist these children. This was a daunting task as I had no research or funding,” she added.
Louise and Elizabeth Mabuza (a local HBC Volunteer) began a children’s programme in 2003 from which Keep the Dream 196 was finally formally born in 2007.
The focus was to give children the motivation to identify their dreams and to hold onto their dreams despite their circumstances.
This project, she explained, was no ‘quick fix’, rather it was a long term investment to help develop a child holistically and sustainably to overcome not just the current situations they find themselves in but all the other challenges life will present them with.
Keep The Dream196 is more than one person! It’s inspired and supported by God.
God also has brought an amazing team of people around Louise and Elizabeth to implement the programmes. Plus, because the team inspire others to get involved we now have approximately 100 volunteers who in turn inspire 2,500 children on a weekly basis.
The older children then inspire and assist the younger children to identify and follow their dreams. “Keep the Dream196 entails various other projects such as Boys to Men, which helps young boys learn core values to stop the cycle of abuse so prevalent in rural areas, and other educational and learnership projects,” she explained. One of her success stories is when a boy, who used to bully less privileged children because their clothes were old and torn, gave his best pair of shoes to a child in need.
“He was only in the programme for three months, but those three months were enough for him to realise what he was doing was wrong. This kind of success is what we strive for in our children. We want them to be honest, caring and responsible, stable people,” Louise said.
Evidence of the programme’s success comes in the form of children growing up to become valuable contributors to society as doctors, occupational therapists, social workers, and physiotherapists, among others.
These children might otherwise have never had the opportunity to achieve their dreams were it not for the time and dedication Louise and her team offers gladly so they can have the chance to better themselves. Although she does not have a family of her own, she loves helping others build a future for their own families.
Her hobbies include travelling, with the Kruger National Park as one of her favourite destinations, and sleeping under the stars whenever she has the opportunity.
She lives for God and takes great pride in doing her part in changing the lives of people, who might otherwise have ended up never reaching their dreams.
To get involved, please visit: www.keepthedream196.com/
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