Henry Harber (47) and his wife Margie (41) are bikers, human rights activists, humanitarians and, most importantly, a family that overflows with love.
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“Our love for helping children began over a decade ago after our bikers’ club handed out gifts to orphaned children,” Henry says.
He says that one day a friend of his, who is an advocate, called him and said that there was a 16-year-old girl who was in desperate need of a home for a few days.
The couple took her in and saw how this little girl carried the weight of the world on her brittle shoulders.
She showed them the ‘underworld’, a place full of drug addiction, alcoholism, and sexual misconduct.
Once he understood where she came from and had walked a mile in her shoes, his opinion on ‘disobedient’ children changed.
They eventually found her a safe haven to live in.
The Harbers realised that there was a void in their lives that they had never felt before.
This destitute young girl, who came to them for help, had actually helped them in turn and completely transformed their lives.
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“This one night Margie and I were at a concert having fun with friends.
“I remember that day as if it were yesterday.”
There they were in a smoky room with the song “Wild, wild angels” playing loudly, when suddenly the idea of starting an organisation for children in need came into Henry’s mind.
Instantly the name “Wild Wild Guardians” became the name of the organisation.
“Taking in children who have their own belief systems and a history of abuse is really challenging,” says Margie.
“Each child comes with their own baggage and emotional trauma.”
Some children, she says, are so badly abused by their mothers (in most cases) that it makes the bond between herself and the children difficult at first, as they fear the image that she represents.
The Harbers’ organisation focuses on children who come from various places in Springs with different but extreme challenges in their circumstances.
“These children are our future. How can we leave them destitute?” she asks.
“Who will take care of us in our old age if the generation of hope and light is devoured by the world of drugs and alcohol?” Henry says.
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