Woman to walk Spanish Camino for Queen Butterfly
After having lost her severely disabled son when he was not even six months old, Rozette is raising funds for the foundation that would've looked after him.
After having completed the 259km Tankwa Camino from Calvinia to Zeerust in 2017 in aid of the Queen Butterfly Foundation, local resident, Rozette Botha decided to kick it up a notch.
In May next year, Botha is planning on walking the Spanish Camino, better known as the Camino de Santiago, for the same cause. Although the Camino is approximately 790km in total, she will only be completing 320km due to time limitations.
Her reason is simple. “Around 27 years ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, but he had a very rare disease and was severely disabled because of it. Unfortunately he died after five months and 21 days of his birth. If he were to live, an organisation like Queen Butterfly would have been a part of my everyday life,” she explained.
She decided she would raise funds and support the foundation that would’ve looked after her son.
Since the Spanish Camino has always been on her bucket list, she decided to align her dream with that of Queen Butterfly. According to Botha, she hopes to raise funds for the foundation not only to help cover some basic necessities and salaries for the passionate caregivers, but also to help Queen Butterfly acquire its own premises.
Although the trip is already paid in full, Botha still hopes to create some exposure and raise funds for Queen Butterfly by getting community members, organisations and businesses involved in the campaign.
When Botha and Queen Butterfly founder, Palesa Mofokeng met back in 2017, the avid hiker knew that she would walk a long path with the organisation.
“We were praying for good news, and that’s when our good friend, Rozette contacted me and said she would like to take on such a campaign for us yet again. We can’t even express our gratitude for her choosing us to benefit from her big adventure,” Mofokeng said.
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“You can’t put a price tag on such a kind gesture. We truly appreciate her as the children are the ones benefiting from the much-needed support. This is also a way of letting the community know that they don’t have to give in the form of finances – they can give in whichever way they find in their hearts.”
Although Botha’s deceased little one never lived to see six months, she stressed the fact that his life still means something as he is continuing to touch the lives of many.
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Both Botha and Mofokeng hope that community members and business will be inspired by the effort, and find it in their hearts to support the children with severe disabilities. If you are interested or would like to know more, Botha can be contacted on 082 075 1937 and Mofokeng on 081 795 7531. The duo also plan on hosting various projects in aid of the children before the hike in May.
