Father, daughter give stranded South Africans a helping hand

Neal Stacey and daughter Chantal Steyl are modest people with big hearts – ready to reach out and take up the plight of South Africans stranded abroad during the global Covid-19 crisis.

From Thailand to Cambodia, the impact of efforts by the South African philanthropic family has known no bounds in their crusade to reach out to South Africans stuck abroad during the pandemic.

“We have all been put on this planet for a reason, to help others in need,” said Stacey.

With their online-based campaign, #bringourfamilieshome, daily making a difference in the lives of those trapped in foreign countries due to lockdowns, Stacey and Steyl have made it their business to offer help, from money to food parcels.

“I wanted to create an awareness on social media and start an online petition when I hooked up Pierre Bezuidenhout, who is currently in Koh Sinai with wife Vanna,” said Stacey. “We founded #bringourfamilieshome and started a Facebook page and a WhatsApp group in Thailand to create positivity among stranded South Africans.

“The movement we are starting in helping South Africans abroad should go beyond the coronavirus phase. You have South African teachers who are currently jobless in Cambodia. They need any help – from money to food.”

Among many South Africans assisted by the generosity of Stacey and Steyl are Chad Esterhuizen and Megan Ridley, who are in Thailand.

Ridley told The Citizen of their experience: “Chad and I were at the point where we had been kicked out of our previous accommodation. We had reached the stage where we had exhausted our funds.

“They restored our faith that we would be okay.

“When we told them of our situation, without any hesitation, Chantal sent us funds that would cover our travels to the Chiang Mai Airport.

“Not only did this give us hope, but it was the kindness of the Stacey and Steyl family in these hard times that brought an abundance of positivity.”

Ridley and Esterhuizen are among South Africans expected to return to South Africa on Friday – marking the end of an ordeal abroad.

Another South African, Mario Boffa, said: “We are ultimately looking forward to coming home and be reunited with families.”

– brians@citizen.co.za

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