An inspiration in charity
WELTEVREDEN PARK – One resident decided to take the concept of giving to the next level and continues to make a difference in the community.
Charity Begins with Me began as a small group of friends and family in 2011, but has since grown in number and influence. The a charity created by Weltevreden Park resident Stephan Ferreira (31), has now supported over 30 charities.
Ferreira had been involved in various charity projects but decided to step up his involvement in the community and surrounds with his own charity. At first, everything was coordinated via SMS and email but social media proved to be the best platform to create awareness for their projects.
According to Ferreira, who is also a project manager at the University of Johannesburg, each project presents a challenge but the most difficult aspect is to create new ideas to keep people interested and spreading the word. All of the charity’s projects have been accomplished thus far through word of mouth.
Charity Begins with Me is not a registered non-government organisation but it supports many charities. Recently Charity Begins with Me collected and handed out over 8 000 Easter eggs to various children’s homes, hospitals and a few old age homes, and they will be launching a Mother’s Day campaign soon. Ferreira and his partner, Alex Vorster, do the majority of the collections but have two friends in other neighbourhoods who act as drop-off points.
“I started this massive task of trying to change the world for me and not because I wanted to impress anyone else. I also quickly realized that a lot of people are keen to help but someone has to continuously drive and motivate and work to keep the ball rolling. It has to start with me. And if I cannot show people the hard work I am willing to put into it, then I cannot expect others to do the same. I can inspire a few people to help. They in return inspire a few others and so our network gets bigger every single day,” said Ferreira. Out of this mentality, the name Charity Begins with Me was born.
In 2013, Ferreira was diagnosed with Leukemia, yet this has not slowed him down but instead added fuel to the existing fire. “It constantly drives me to do more and work harder to make a difference before I kick the bucket,” Ferreira confessed.
Details: Stephan Ferreira, charitybeginswithme.blogspot@gmail.com, 072 593 3866.
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