Dear Friends On 29 November 2014 I’ll have been living in Franschhoek for 13 great years. I came in Franschhoek in 2002 looking for greener pastures and I managed to work at a variety of places. When I arrived I had no experience or skills and I could only speak Sesotho and Afrikaans. Now I am proud to say I can speak seven languages, am a handyman and a respected community worker. Learning and gaining experience When I arrived I worked at various places and jobs including building RDP houses in Mooiwater, at the Three Streams farm for Mr David Stubbs and at Roubaix Estate just behind the Pick n Pay, when it was still a Spar. Here I met a German couple, Mr & Mrs Manigk, and an English couple, Mr & Mrs Quins. I looked very young and they encouraged me to go back to school, but it was not easy for me because I was the bread winner in the family and so I kept working as a gardener and painter at their houses. Later these two couples would help me to qualify as a tour guide. As we all know, when it rains in Franschhoek theres no work. I had to look for something else. I walked around the village looking for a new job and when I got to Van Wyk Street I noticed that there was broken flower pot outside Realou Guest House. I went to the door to tell the owners that I would clean it up, but the language barrier made it impossible. I left, but somehow the idea that I would one day work there had taken root in my mind. Every now and then, while I was working at Roubaix Estate, I read the English newspaper to improve my English. When I went back to Realou Guest House my English was so much better that the owner didn’t recognise me. I worked at Realou Guesthouse for more than 4 years. During this time I learned many new skills – plumbing, electrical, painting, gardening, building, driving, fixing computers, network problems, satellite dish problems, roof leaks, fixing pools, and checking guests in and out. I even managed to prepare breakfast and light lunches. Most significantly though I met my beautiful wife, Lebo, while I was at Realou. I talk a lot and decided to become a tourist guide. Mr & Mrs Manigk helped me to get my courses done. It was not easy though, as I had to travel to class in Durbanville every day. I was up by 06h00, at school from 08h30 – 17h00 and then had to get back home with unreliable trains and taxis. As a result I dropped out. Then an angel came to my rescue. Mr Alan from Somerset West offered me a lift from Groendal to Durbanville and back home every day until I graduated. In January 2009 I started work at Winelands Experience under Mr Richard Dellar – again made possible by Mr Tom Manigk. During the 2010 World Cup I met tourists who wanted a taste of African Food. I entertained some of them at my house. This eventually led me to start Batho’s Place. (Bathos Place means ‘the peoples place’.) During a township tour I met Mr & Mrs Van Grieken who were so interested in my background that they decided to help me. Together with Mr & Mrs Verhulst and many sponsors they helped me to build the new much-improved Bathos Place. Soup kitchens I was born in the very poor township of Botshabelo outside Bloemfontein. It was not easy for my family and me. At times I had to pick up plastic bottles to make an open fire so we could cook and heat water etc. I used to walk about 50 kilometres to Bloemfontein to look for work, but I ended up being a street kid. With my background I couldn’t have achieved what I did without other people’s help. Therefore I’m very aware of the kids out there who go to school without breakfast and a lunch box and the families who go to bed without food. That is why I try so hard to help the little kids. The Batho’s Place soup kitchen has serves more than 350 kids every time it’s open and a total of more than 7 000 kids per month. Bishop Mpilo Tutu said Motho ke motho ka batho, umntu ngumntu ngabantu” (A person is a person because of other people.) I live by these words. Village Walk township tour The main purpose of the tour is to bring whites, coloureds and blacks together. We wanted people to understand more about the township, its people and what it’s like to live there. Without understanding we cannot build a beautiful rainbow nation. Many good things happened because of the tours. For example, I managed to get a sponsor to send some kids to crèche – Johanne Choiniere from Canada. We both met during a tour in 2011. She saw these vulnerable kids playing in the street and she asked what she could do. We decided to send them to Liwalethu Educare Centre. She sponsored 10 kids in 2012, four have since graduated to Dalubuhle Primary School and she’s still sponsoring the remaining six kids who will graduate at the end of this year. Through the village walk tours we also managed to raise money to build Inam Educare Centre and also for the soup kitchen. Many white families came to Langrug without fear to help us with the soup kitchen and to volunteer at the crèches. Much of what was achieved was because I’m not a political person and that helped me to help everyone. The things I’ve done I did with the support of my wife and many others. In the process we became role models in the community. Going into the future Now that I’m moving on I’d like to introduce those who will be taking over what I’ve started in Franschhoek. I do wish that I were able to leave Franschhoek only when all these children can do things by themselves. Fortunately Bathos Place is here to stay and all the activities that used to happen there will still be happening after I leave. A group from within the community will take over – and I’ll remain a part of it. People can still drop off donations and do soup kitchens as before. I’ll also still be taking bookings for Batho’s Place. I will visit Franschhoek once or twice per year to make sure things run smoothly. I’ll also still be visiting schools and giving workshops to motivate young stars. It is time now for Lebo and me to go and develop our own township. Botshabelo is very poor with no hope, but we strongly believe that through faith we have what it takes to change nothing into something. We want to see projects similar to those in Franschhoek reaching the rest of South Africa. On 29 November we’ll be saying goodbye at Batho’s Place. You are all welcome to join us from 18h00. Please bring your own food/drinks for this evening. I’ll also be introducing the new management and township tour guide to everybody. Your presence will be highly appreciated. Thank you I would like to extend my gratitude to the following for their help and support: Mr & Mrs Manigk, Mr & Mrs Quin, Mr & Mrs Bester, Mr & Mrs Dellar, Mr & Mrs Saffery, Mr & Mrs Pani and my neighbours, Stellenbosch Municipality, Councillor Ntsungizi, Councillor Frazenburg, Shofar Church, CORC members, Franschhoek and Langrug Community, Franschhoek Wine Valley Members, Ms Lindy April, Mr & Mrs Van Grieken and Trust members, Mr & Mrs Verhulst, Mr & Mrs Donders, Mama Afrika Mrs Giselle Vlugen, Mr David Walters, Solms-Delta Team and Delta Trust, Grande Provence, Mr Reuben Riffel, Mr Jeftas, Franschhoek Tatler (Mr Schäfer), Mr & Mrs Keidzer, Mr & Mrs Day, Mrs Candice Holgate, Mr & Mrs Wright, Mr & Mrs Kinsey-Quick, Mr & Mrs Corlett, Eastern Mosaic and Mela Team, Forta4u Team, Ukuzingca Foundation, Franco, Kusasa, KFC, Cape Winelands District Municipality, Franschhoek Sinothando Arts and Culture, Simunye Gospel Choir, Basotho Cultural Group, Franschhoek Spiritual Choir, Franschhoek Masters, Mrs Sidiya and Lukhanyo Band, Mr Molutsoane, Mr & Mrs Quza, Mrs Daniele van der Hucht, MKI and Health Promoters Team, Franschhoek SAPS, Medicare EMR (Garth van Zyl and Monika Vermeulen), Mr Jones and Magaret, and of course all our volunteers. Please forgive me if I forgot to mention you. Please know that Im thankful to everyone who took an interest in my life and projects. Your continuing support for these projects will also be highly appreciated. For more information you can still contact me on bathotours@gmail or call me on 082 090 8660. David Molorane
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 09:32:35 +0000