Recently, our friends at Samara Private Game Reserve in South Africa shared this heartening story with us and we are pleased to share it with you:

 

Our friends at Samara "discovered a website – www.packforapurpose.org,  Rebecca Rothney, an American woman who recognized the opportunity for travellers to link up with charities worldwide, decided to start this website to further her dream of ensuring that people’s travel was enriched by serving a purpose other than pleasure and leisure. It is a very simple concept where people who are travelling to foreign lands can look up what charities require in that part of the world and, take their donations with them.

 

Having only been on the website for 6 weeks, Samara has received the first donation of fluffy toys for the impoverished children who are patients at the Marjery Parkes TB Hospital in Graaff-Reinet. This donation was made by Julie Schubert of America who was thoughtful enough to also pack in toothbrushes, toothpaste, bandages and band-aids as well as children’s books. The donation was presented to these wide-eyed youngsters who were overjoyed to receive such wonderful cuddly toys.

The little girl in pink is Kelly Grootboom who we are told was "half dead" when she was admitted. This child is the most darling little girl who is 6 years old and absolutely bursting with personality. She originally took a teddy bear, but when she spotted the lion, her face just lit up and she swapped. He was immediately named Simba.

The three projects Samara is involved with are:

The Tracker Academy
Needs: New or used books on animals, flora, birds, grasses, and trees from around the world, and any additional ecologically related books, CDs or films will be welcomed.

The Student Volunteer Program serves school children from disadvantaged communities who come and visit Samara as an outdoor classroom. They are taught about the environment and animals.
Needs: Paper notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons, colored pencils, erasers and soccer balls. Also, new or used books on animals, flora, birds, grasses, and trees from around the world, and any additional ecologically related books, CDs or films will be welcomed.

Supporting children who are recovering at the Marjery Parkes TB & HIV Hospital in Graaff-Reinet.
Needs: Soft, fluffy toys.

 

Please check with the website www.PackforaPurpose.org before your next trip and create new memories of joy for yourself and children around the world.