support for South Africa

Hello friends. My name is sean Anderson and I currently find myself in a very unique position. Considering that this is the first time I have created a community fund page, I feel compelled to explain to you, fully, how I got to where I am now. I hope that when you read this you will come away with the same feelings that I have towards this cause. Many of us question the things that we see floating around the internet so that is why I am adding my personal email for you to communicate with me at any time. It is imperative that you know any type of donation goes directly into the hands of the individuals or the organizations that needs it. I want to thank you very much for the time you have already spent and I would also like to thank you for reading the rest of this story. I truly believe good things are going to come from this initiative. Let’s start from the beginning. I fell in love with South Africa last year while on a trip and I decided to return this year for business and a little pleasure. I had made arrangements to travel before the outbreak of Covid-19 and when it was finally time to leave I figured I would have been able to get in and out of Africa, before the rumours of airports and borders closing became a reality. I was wrong. While I was here the first time, not only did I enjoy the food, the sites, and the wonderful safaris, but I found a place in my heart for the incredible people here. As a traveller I was welcomed with “open arms” by everyone. I soon discovered that there was something very special here. Although the people of South Africa suffered greatly over the last century or more, they managed to come through the hardships as loving, warm, gracious, resourceful and incredibly creative individuals. A credit is most definitely due to Mr Nelson Mandela who set an example of strength, courage and forgiveness. Those attributes still resonate today amongst these fine folks. On this trip I was staying in Soweto at a wonderful place called “Lebo’s Backpackers” when the lockdown occurred. All flights in and out were halted as well as in Canada. I made a move to Johannesburg for the first 21 days of the lockdown and then returned to Soweto, where I still am today. Since the SA lockdown started and even before that, I have been helped by so many people in so many ways to make sure that this foreigner is taken care of as best as possible. From accommodations, to being fed, to transportation and even my personal security or protection whenever I needed to make a trip anywhere on foot, someone was always there to assist me. Although I believe there is a bright future for South Africa, there are still numerous challenges and obstacles that the people here face. When you factor in the effects of this Coronavirus, many things have become amplified and in many situations the problems are dire. Growing up very fortunate in Canada, a country of full freedom and opportunity, I thought long and hard of how I could use my opportunities and resources to assist. That is when I called upon fund me. I am updated daily of the struggles back home in Canada regarding business and personal finances. Africa is experiencing these same problems, but they also have many, many more. I have seen massive line-ups at grocery stores and in many cases the shelves are empty. I see churches giving out food bundles, but they run out before everyone in line can get their share. People are still waiting for the small monthly assistance that the government has promised and in a more directly related issue, a close personal friend, in Cape Town, is at home with a wife and child with no food and no money. I understand that we are all feeling the effects of Covid-19 around the world and I also understand that finances are tough for everyone. I hope that when you read this you can find it in their heart to spare whatever you can so we can all help the people here in South Africa. To put things into perspective, $20 Canadian converts into 200 African Rand. 200 Rand can go a very long way. Anything contributed is appreciated greatly by myself and it would make a world of difference to the people and friends I have discovered here. If you feel donating money is too difficult at this time, I would ask that you do your best to share this page with as many people as possible. The further we reach, the more success we will have. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you greatly for your time and your support.

Sean Anderson.