Swinging for charity

A perfect swing was all it took to make a difference in a child’s life. This was seen at the National Association of Managing Agents’ (Nama) golf day for the Jacaranda Children’s Home on Thursday at the Waterkloof Country Club. Companies and organisations from across Pretoria joined together and raised thousands of rands for the less privileged.

Koos Croukamp, the national chairperson of Nama, explained that as professional businessmen and women, they realised that they had a social obligation towards the community. “Children are very dear to our hearts and, therefore, we thought it would be worthwhile to host a golf day for the Jacaranda Children’s Home. Children are the future, we should look after them.”

Nama is a non-profit company that was established to, among others, increase the efficiency of managing agents and keep their members on par with the development of the sectional title industry. “As an association, we know how important it is to work together to have a positive influence on the community and to reach our goals. After this event, we would like to look into possibilities to extend our positive energy and host more golf days nationwide,” Croucamp added. Nama approached Hirsch’s Centurion, who, in collaboration with Whirlpool and Megaphone Media, sponsored the halfway house.

The golf day was a first not only for Nama, but also for the Jacaranda Children’s Home. According to Debro van Wyngaard, a social worker at the children’s home, no company or organisation has held a golf day to raise funds for them as a non-profit organisation. “We feel truly honoured that Nama took it upon themselves and organised this successful event for us. This was our first golf day and hopefully the start of great things and partnerships,” Van Wyngaard said. The Jacaranda Children’s Home is situated in East Lynne and is a place of safety for around 250 abused and neglected children between the ages of 18 months and 18 years.

The money raised will be used for clothing and gear for self-defence classes. Van Wyngaard facilitates a group of around 52 children, who take part in the Defend with Integrity Project. In order for the children to participate, they need full kits and practice clothing – one kit costs around R600. These classes help with the children’s development by teaching them self-defence, focusing on their fitness levels and helping them to build character. At the end of the day, a cheque worth R30 000 was handed over to the home. The event continued into a cocktail dinner, where an undisclosed amount of money was raised in an auction.