The Acorn Foundation, an organisation which links donors with beneficiaries, held a golf day at Blue Valley Golf and Country Estate to benefit five of its beneficiaries.
One of the beneficiaries is a teenager who made newspaper headlines in 1999. At two years old, his mother’s boyfriend beat him to the point of paralysis. He was left with a fractured skull and cheekbones, serious internal injuries and cigarette burns on his face.
“A lady from Pretoria heard what happened to him and started searching for him. She walked up and down the corridors of Steve Biko Hospital for three days until she found the bruised body, and from that moment, she had just simply unconditional love for him,” said Acorn Foundation’s Sue Smit.
The boy, who is now a teenager, received a car, cellphone and a trust fund for his tertiary studies for next year. He, understandably, asked for his identity to be kept private.
“This young man is the most positive person we have met. He blames no one and only recalls the good things that happened in his life. A true inspiration,” said Smit.
Other beneficiaries of the foundation comprise Mafulo Ga Sisulu, a feeding scheme in Olievenhoutbosch, which received R8 000; Thembalethu Community Centre in Kwamhlanga, which received six desks and bookshelves for their after-school programme; Keep me Safe, a place of safety in Boksburg, which received four desks and two bookshelves; and funds were raised for two children, who are amputees who received running blades from the golf day.
“Anthony Butler, an amputee who achieved a silver in the South African Open Athletics Championship, is currently ranked 5th in the world,” said Smit.
All the teams which participated in the golf day were challenged to build a school desk or a bookshelf before playing golf. Central Build It donated the material to build the 12 desks and 12 bookshelves.
Details: Acorn Foundation 011 847 7867.
