POLOKWANE – 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 his head. These golden letters relayed a message from God through which He was telling me what my future holds,” Louise told Review.
She began her journey in home-based care for the needy in Africa, unfamiliar with the responsibilities of caring for people dying of Aids, despite her experience in palliative care.
She was given the opportunity to work in a South African clinic in 2000 which gave her the opportunity to get the needed training for her line of work.
“After a situation analysis in the Greater Tzaneen Municipality in 2003, I found my calling when I volunteered to help orphans and vulnerable children from rural areas to overcome their struggles. 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 nor funding,” she added.
She and Elizabeth Mabuza began a programme, Keep the Dream 196, as she dreamed of giving needy children the motivation 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 Dream 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 most memorable 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 come in the form of children growing up to become valuable contributors to society as occupational therapists, social workers, and physiotherapist, among others.
These children might otherwise have never had the opportunity to achieve their dreams were it not for the time and dedication Louise offers gladly so they can have the chance to better themselves.
Her hobbies include traveling, with the Kruger National Park as one of her favourite destinations, and sleeping under the stars whenever she has the opportunity.
She lives for her work and takes great pride in doing her part in changing the lives of people, who might otherwise have ended up never reaching their dreams, were it not for the special message in gold letters above a pastor’s head 14 years ago.
