Tris

My name is Tris Beckers, born in Belgium, 1965. I came to South-Africa in 2005 with my family to start a new life. I’ve got two handsome sons. We have a business in Tourism.

Very soon I was confronted with the problems and needs of the Zulu people and it was an immediate and strong feeling that I couldn’t turn a blind eye and just live my life here.

At the beginning of 2007, I started the “Tomorrow” project  which was mainly focused on awareness of HIV at neighbouring farms and with local families; assisting people to find help.

In 2008, my friend Sofi formalized her personal project into the “Isibani” project and it became more realistic to join forces.

That’s how the Tomorrow4isibani project came alive, first as an association and since March 2010 as an NPO. In the beginning, we only sponsored the Baby Day Care but the project soon grew and now we are one of the main sponsors for Isiphephelo, the project  focused on children and youth.

My role is to help finding sponsors from overseas and to keep them informed about all the achievements of Isibani/Isiphephelo. Also the paperwork/book keeping  for the NPO is mainly my job.

My actual role at the centre is very small, unfortunately, but I try to help where I can.  Due to my work situation it is difficult to spend more time at the moment but I hope that that can change in the near future.

My vision is trying to help children/youth in creating a better world for themselves, we can only reach out and bridge the gap. And although it’s not always easy to work in this dual post apartheid culture, I strongly believe that if we can reach one child, it was all worthwhile.

If we don’t try to help these children today, who will and when? And what kind of a message do we send out to our children and to the next generations ?

In my language the saying goes : “It’s a drop on a hot plate”… Well, I say : “10 drops is a small puddle”…

Love,
Tris