‘To the children of South Africa, with love from Israel’

Thanks to technology and social media, we really are able to keep in touch with good friends on Skype, Facetime and, yes, even Facebook. But nothing beats a cup of coffee and a good chat in person.

By BENITA LEVIN
Wheelchairs of Hope: Putting wheels in motion to change people’s lives (photo credit: BENITA LEVIN)
Wheelchairs of Hope: Putting wheels in motion to change people’s lives
(photo credit: BENITA LEVIN)
MEET KWEZI, a seven-year-old boy from Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
His huge, dark eyes and shy smile will melt your heart. Kwezi’s life changed forever this month, when he was given a brightly colored wheelchair during a moving ceremony, organized by the WIZO Chana Aviv branch in Durban, the city in which I grew up. His grandmother says up until now, he has spent much of his free time indoors at home, because it’s too difficult for an adult to carry him for too long. He chose a red wheelchair, because it’s his favorite color! (There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.) Within minutes, Kwezi was navigating his way around the room, clearly proud of the way he was maneuvering around in his funky new wheelchair.
The emotional handover ceremony in Durban was part of WIZO South Africa’s local outreach program – the organization has secured funding for 50 children’s wheelchairs from Israeli NGO, “Wheelchairs of Hope.” The inexpensive, low maintenance chairs come in bright red, blue or green.
They are the brainchild of an Israeli couple, Pablo Kaplan and Chava Rotshtein, from Wheelchairs of Hope. The NGO is involved in a humanitarian mission to help children with disabilities in developing countries.
Each chair arrived in South Africa in separate parts, and was enthusiastically assembled by children in the community. The tires were pumped up at a local shop, whose owners refused payment as soon as they heard about the charity project.
All these chairs were brought to South Africa, thanks to the generosity of philanthropist Bernhard Lazarus, in honor of his wife Pearl’s 90th birthday, and other donors. A separate handover was made at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital’s Oncology ward in Johannesburg, and a third ceremony was held in Cape Town. Each chair has a sticker on it with the message – “To the children of South Africa, with love from Israel.”
The owners of each new “set of wheels” are about to have their lives changed, as they enjoy a newfound level of independence.
This is such a special initiative.
What we miss most about South Africa It’s been just over a year, since our family of four made aliya, and this week we returned – with our two children – who have been counting sleeps until they see their mishpacha again. When people ask what we miss most about South Africa, the answer from all four of us is the same: family.
Being able to celebrate at a simcha is a privilege and a joy for all of us. Children reconnect with their cousins as if it’s been 12 days since they last saw each other – not 12 months. The bonds they share will clearly last a lifetime.
The same applies to solid friendships.
Thanks to technology and social media, we really are able to keep in touch with good friends on Skype, Facetime and, yes, even Facebook. But nothing beats a cup of coffee and a good chat in person. Again, I know that the real, meaningful friendships will last, no matter where we are in the world.
On a more superficial level, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how good it is to pop into a Woolworths shop again! For me, it represents predictable quality – you know your clothes size and you know the fruit is fresh and delicious. (Nope, I’m not an ambassador for the store – but I still believe there is nothing quite like “Woolies”!) One of the things I most loved about life in South Africa was the resilience and positivity of the South African spirit. On two recent trips, there seemed to be a sense of pessimism and negativity about the political and economic future. Today, I feel a renewed sense of optimism, cautious optimism, but, nonetheless, a far more upbeat sense that there is hope for the future. It’s heartwarming to feel that positivity again, and I – like millions of others – hope that real change is in the cards for all...