One of the worst cases of rape, abuse, and severe child neglect Operation Bobbi Bear has ever seen or heard of. That’s the heart-wrenching story of some beautiful children – aged between 11-years and 18-months-old – who have been living at the house.
Toti Moths and local businesses have been helping where they can to feed and care for the children, and the KZN chapter of the Moths Motorcycle Association (MMA) joined in to spoil them with a toy run on Sunday, 1 December, to ensure that this year the young ones enjoy a festive Christmas for once.
“When the news of the children who had been abused first broke, I visited Bobbi Bear at the end of last year and spoke to Eureka Olivier who took me into her confidence.
“After hearing these stories, I was shattered, so much so, that when I walked through my front door, my wife asked if I was having a heart attack,” said Moth Barry Roper. “I knew I had to help and had a sleepless night trying to figure out how.”
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The next day was the Mills Bomb Shellhole’s monthly meeting and Barry asked the Old Bill if he could address the floor. “I stood up and gave one of the hardest and emotional talks I have ever done in my whole life.” He finished with the words from the Moth Ideal, “No little child will ever starve or suffer needless pain. To feed, to clothe, to build again where hopes should shattered be. This is the crowning Moth Ideal – to help humanity.”
The Moths agreed to provide a Sunday meal for the next six months and Moth Anne Mathieson volunteered to do the cooking.
Barry recalled the time they dropped off a donation of toilet paper for the children. The one young one would sleep with a roll of toilet paper and when asked why, said she was scared it would be taken away from her. It just goes to show that the simply things we take for granted, is for them, their whole world because they have had so little to call their own.
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The KZN MMA spread the word and shellholes outside of KZN started helping. Last year the MMA decided that to rather join the normal ‘toy run’, they would do a special run to the Bobbi Bear house. This year there was a change of venue and the children were taken to the shellhole in Warner Beach and treated to a braai and delivery of toys, arranged by the chairman of the KZN MMA, Moth Piet Fourie.
“Thanks Piet and the MMA Moths, you held the torch much higher than I could have imagined. I was amazed at how well the ‘wild bunch’ of children that I met nearly two years ago has adjusted. They were far better behaved than some of the children with parents who visit the shellhole, and it is a great tribute to Eureka and her team at Bobbi Bear.”
If any organisation wants Barry to give a talk about the Moths, call him on 082-745-6253.
To help Operation Bobbi Bear with the wonderful work it does, call 031-903-2424, email bobbibear@lantic.net or use the following bank details to donate: Bobbi Bear Fund, FNB Amanzimtoti, account number: 62018619471, branch code: 250655.
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