Stranddiens is of service on Sapphire Coast beaches
While the weather wasn't always on its side, the Stranddiens team put in maximum effort to keep those on Sapphire Coast beach having fun.
WITH the festive season drawing to a close, many roleplayers are owed gratitude for making the holidays such a booming success for locals and holidaymakers alike.
While the weather wasn’t always on its side, the Stranddiens team put in maximum effort to keep those on Sapphire Coast beach having fun.
“The team has done a fabulous job this festive season, keeping young and old as happy and entertained as possible,” said Sapphire Coast Tourism (SCT) chairman Romy Wentzel.
View the full gallery: Stranddiens Toti team brings fun this holiday
While discussing the way forward for the holiday season during a meeting last year, Stranddiens’ Arnold Smith raised an interesting point about the benefits of their intervention. Many times after a holiday, couples get divorced and as a pastor, he would counsel them.
“On this realisation, I hoped I could create a holiday programme that would be ‘life-changing’. Without the people realising it, I would like them to leave Amanzimtoti relaxed and more family-orientated,” explained Arnold.
“Many times the children take part in the activities but not the parents. They are too busy on their phones or with other things. There are a few fathers who come and take part but I wanted to see involvement from the whole family, improved communication and involvement between a family.”
Stranddiens Toti has been around since 1994.
“It so happened that my wife and I were on holiday in Stella Maris,” said Arnold. “As we were riding in a lift, there was a young guy with us. On my remark stating that it must be great to be here for the holidays, I was shocked when he replied, ‘What? There is nothing to do here’. I looked at my wife, as we had just finished our final camp in Warmbaths, so we decided to try something for those visiting Amanzimtoti.”
That December Standdiens Toti kicked off and brought even more joy and cheer to the beaches over the festive season.
“It’s been a privilege to facilitate change in people by playing and touching lives when welcoming the strangers. Games like volleyball, tug of war, children’s games, puppet shows, talent shows, the participation of our team as well as Sapphire Coast Tourism has increased the joy of holidaymaking. The support and leadership of people through the years was just incredible,” he said.
Arnold admitted that while he feels the utmost responsibility for all the beachgoers and his team, the festive seasons with Stranddiens Toti have been a privilege and a ‘joy ride’. “I thank everybody for the opportunity,” he said.
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