Empower 20 million Africans to sustainably provide for themselves by 2032.
A tall woman burst through the door of the apartment waving a small bag of the vegetables above her head.
“I was a bit confused at first,” says Ann Pretorius, as she recalls the story. She was on a visit to the city for the newly founded humanitarian organisation ForAfrika, then known as JAM. She and her husband Peter were being accommodated in the run-down building so they could attend meetings in the city.
Their interpreter explained that a truck delivering the life-saving vegetables had arrived and the woman was celebrating because she had received a bag after waiting hours in a queue.
No one in the area had seen potatoes for years. According to a report by USAID, a combination of drought, floods and conflict had decimated crops in six of 10 of provinces. Millions were affected and up to about 100,000 were reported to have died.
It was into this state that Peter had recently been left stranded. Surrounded by young children and adults dying from thirst and starvation, he resolved to steer the rest of his life – and that of his family – in a different direction.
“I want to go back and bring food to these people,” he told Ann when he returned home after 10 days in the wilderness.
After some persuasion, she accompanied him back to the war-torn southern African country to see things for herself.
“I didn’t want to go. I was terrified. But, I trusted Peter and I could see he was serious. So, I went with him. It was one of the hardest experiences of my life …
“It was a shock. There were heavily armed soldiers in camouflage everywhere and cars were smouldering on the roads.
“There was no running water in the building, there were rats scurrying about, and some of the residents were trying in vain to grow vegetables in their bath tubs,” recalls Ann.
That night, however, they were invited to dinner. A dinner of cooked potatoes.
“That was such a lesson for me. A complete paradigm shift. I’d just witnessed how precious those potatoes were, yet our host family was eager to share theirs with us. It was really difficult for me to accept the meal.
“It is this quality – the generosity of people – that we have seen time and again through our 40 years of work in Africa. When disaster strikes it is family, friends and neighbours who are the first responders, leading to organisations coming in later.”
She explains that the word used to describe this African humanity is “ubuntu” from the isiZulu “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” which simply means that a person is a person because of other people.
“Even though it is a word from South Africa, the principle is found across countries and cultures in Africa,” says Ann.
In fact, other countries have their own names for this shared philosophy.
In Uganda, one of the countries where ForAfrika operates, James Anguyo has opened his arms to hundreds of refugees and allowed them to farm on his land without asking them for a penny.
He explains that the plight of refugees, who are initially wholly dependent on aid, touched his heart and he felt he had to help since, “they are human beings just like me”.
“He is now known as Godfather James and the whole group benefits from communal resources and profits,” says Ann.
Ann describes how in neighbouring Rwanda, Emile Morane has dedicated his life to mentoring young musicians after he was given a second chance through the orphanage built by ForAfrika after the genocide in that country.
“Twenty-two years ago, a life was saved,” says Emile. “I was given life and now my wife, who was also an orphan, and I have given life to six more. I will continue to welcome others to join our family. I know what it is like to be without family, I know what it is like to have to build a life. I will give back so that others can do the same.”
The orphanage, which has transitioned into a skills centre, was named after Fred Nkunda, a man who started caring for “unaccompanied” children in the genocide’s aftermath. He and his wife Doreen ran the centre after it was built.
“We built that beautiful place with bricks made from the local river clay,” says Ann, reflecting on one of her most cherished memories.
“Handing over that centre in 2022 was a real highlight for me. I met up with Doreen, as well as a whole lot of the now grown-up children, including Emile. To hear about all the things he and others have achieved, really filled me with joy. I am truly inspired by people who have overcome such immense challenges.
“The people of Africa are an inspiration. They have their own solutions to their challenges and obstacles. We partner with communities so they can realise their plans,” says Ann, who has filled various roles in the organisation and who remains involved to this day.
“Many of our staff come from within the communities they serve, some were even recipients of our aid and have since come to work for us.
“Each time I visit the field I am blown away by the quality of our teams. They are driven by passion, compassion, ingenuity and dedication. They just don’t give up.”
Adam Omut in South Sudan is an example. Adam, who was a child solider during the civil war there, is our Food Security and Livelihoods assistant in Pibor, a tough and forsaken district. He assists mothers, whose children are being treated at the malnutrition clinic, to grow their own vegetables along the river banks in the dry season. He teaches them the latest agricultural methods and has helped them to sell their produce in the market.
“In the rainy season, however, Pibor becomes a flooded, muddy place. Of his own accord, Adam then switches roles to transporter — he once had to walk 8km in waist-high flood water to deliver medicine to desperate families,” says Ann.
She tells how in Angola, staff have come up with an innovative solution for those who struggle to get to and from malnutrition clinics. They have created a tuk-tuk ambulance that transports mothers and children to and from the clinic for essential treatment.
“It is stories like this that sustain us,” says Ann. Over four decades she has watched - often with bated breath - as the organisation has grown to serve in eight countries, reaching over 4-million people in 2023.
“We started out looking after children… but, just like children grow and start to need other things, so we have expanded to facilitating shelter, education and practical training. We have realised that integrated programming is much more effective and leads to real transformation.
“As Peter said, we approach all our programmes mindful of tomorrow. We might start in answer to an immediate need, but we strive to reach beyond the present and affect the future.
“There have been some very tough times, financially and emotionally. At times my children suffered – we were away a lot. I have seen some heartbreaking things, like mothers losing their children in malnutrition clinics or the gruesome sights after the genocide or the devastation that follows wars and famine… but hope and love are incredible motivators and challenges are there to be turned into opportunities. It keeps us keeping on. The past is present in the future.
“It has been a privilege to serve my fellow Africans,” Ann concludes.
Gi fra Norge
Geben Sie aus der Schweiz
Give from SA
Give from rest of world
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
| viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
