Physical Health South Africa Project #47170

Footprints 4 Sam Super Sam Hero Vehicle Project

by Footprints 4 Sam Trust

Footprints 4 Sam Super Sam Hero Vehicle Project

Project Report | May 17, 2024
Celebrating Incredible Drivers

By Melissa Williams-Platt | Co-Founder, Trustee & Most Importantly Sam's Mum

This time of year is always an interesting time of year as we go into Autumn and the weather starts to get colder. At Footprints 4 Sam it brings all types of additional concerns for our young beneficiaries because they now also have to brave the colder weather together with their other daily healthcare challenges. That is why this incredible Super Sam Hero Vehicle initiative always gives me hope because at least I know that our Team is there to support these young beneficiaries and their families by ensuring that they have transport to make their healthcare journey better no matter the weather. Plus we are able to ensure that they can get to their appointments without having to brave the elements on their own. (Cape Town’s winters can be quite something!)

So naturally this brings me to our incredible drivers who really are the SUPERSTARS of the show and without whom our vehicles would not be able to have the incredible daily impact that they do.

Humbert and Sonwabo are our A-Team and have been for years, but sadly, since I last reported Sonwabo has resigned just before his celebration of his third year with us. We are so very grateful to Sonwabo and would like to take this opportunity to thank Sonwabo for all that he has done to support Footprints for Sam over the years and for all the smiles that he brought to so many of our young passengers. He is already missed and his shoes will be hard to fill.

Humbert our driving Supervisor is going into his 6^th year with us. This month on the 4^th of May, Humbert also celebrated his birthday and he has been holding the fort brilliantly and steadfastly while we recruit a new driver. One can imagine that finding someone with the right qualities and characteristics is no small feat given how unique and also taxing this role can be. Our drivers not only have to be excellent drivers but they also have to be kind and compassionate human beings. They also have to be resilient and able to face the daily emotional strain of working with vulnerable children and families. Our passengers have to be treated like “Very Important Persons” at all times! – We like to offer them a moment of peace and calm amidst all the daily challenges and hardships they face.

BUT - that said we are also mindful that this also takes a toll on our Team as they transport our beneficiaries day in and day out. Building relationships and friendships that carry many of these families through the tough hardships of all they face.

So today’s report is simply a celebration of two wonderful human beings. Join me in saying thank you to them and wish us well as we continue with our recruitment process. The Super Sam Hero Vehicle initiative is an ongoing blessing to so many – each day bringing smiles and love to so many, not to mention buckets of food and toiletries too! To date we have transported over 11 200 passengers!

Thank you ALL for your support and ongoing kindness without you the wheels cannot continue turning and very importantly we could not afford to pay our amazing drivers who make it all happen!!

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Jan 18, 2024
2024 Promises To Be A Very Good Year!

By Melissa Williams-Platt | Co-Founder, Trustee but most importantly Sam's Mum

Here we are in 2024!! This time of year is always filled with hope and the promise of all sorts of exciting new beginnings and opportunities, and certainly that is what we are trusting for at The Footprints 4 Sam Trust.

I am going to be giving my age away but wow I remember clearly where I was in the year 2000 when everyone was paranoid about what would happen to the world's computers and associated technology as the clocks ticked over! Well here we are 24 years later and the world we find ourselves in is indeed pretty challenging to say the least with all the wars across the world and the devastating poverty compounded by economic and psycho-social challenges experienced so much more heartbreakingly by the most vulnerable amongst us!

So much so that being on our end of South Africa feels like a privileged place to be and with donors such as yourselves we know that our journey through 2024 will be a good one! Because of all of you the wheels on our two “Sam Se Bussies” will keep on turning. Two brightly coloured minibuses which each and every day continue to offer a journey of hope and joy for many of our young underprivileged patients, their parents and families.

Let’s put some numbers to the good news and the impact of your donations - As of the end of last year we had crossed the incredible milestone of having transported over 10 000 passengers (10 279) to be exact and over 5000 young patients, clocking over 300 000 kilometers to do so. These numbers are truly something to celebrate along with the fact that you are changing lives every single day by supporting this key initiative.

Lastly, in case you missed our very heart-warming Annual Report that went out at the end of last year – please see the link below and be amazed at all that we have been able to achieve because of YOU!

https://www.footprints4sam.org/pdf/annual-reports/annual-report-2022-2023.pdf

Always remember that our dream is still to grow our reach across South Africa with additional Super Sam Hero Vehicles - SO if you believe in what we are doing let us know, reach out and let’s see how we can truly partner to continue growing this initiative and support more children. More vehicles will ensure that more children will gain access to reliable transport to support their continuity of care as they face the rollercoaster of navigating a chronic or life limiting illness. Their lives are at risk if they do not attend their follow up treatments and regular check-ups!

Yes 2024 is full of hope, and we know that it is already going to be a very good year! – Much of that hope and knowledge is in reach because of our supporters!! So thank you – thank you – thank you! Always know how appreciated and valued you are!

Wishing you an incredible 2024 – May it be kind, gentle and filled with good news!! And may 2024 truly be a VERY VERY good year for us ALL!!

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Sep 20, 2023
Brave Is Simply Brave....

By Melissa Williams-Platt | Co-Founder & Trustee

Memories from Mandela Day - Footprints of Hope

I am writing this report with somewhat of a heavy heart. On Friday last week one of our amazing drivers was held up at gun point while transporting one of our super-hero families. When he phoned to tell me - my heart broke. Increasingly in Cape Town, South Africa, care vehicles such as ours, including ambulances are being held up and this trend is really worrying for NGOs like ours that work to bring hope and dignity to the poorest of the poor - especially in paediatrics. Our beneficiaries are young and already vulnerable due to their chronic illnesses or life limiting conditions and their parents and /or caregivers are already exhausted from the strain of looking after their children, together with managing their environment which is increasingly burdened by poverty and crime.

These families are amazing and bring new meaning to the word resilience. Resilience is a word that I often think is overused across the world, since to be resilient is not about “bouncing” back or “bouncing forward” – human beings are not rubber bands – true resilience is about digging deep in the moment despite your circumstances and still holding your ground when overwhelmed by life and the myriad of unfair challenges thrown your way. For me these families inspire me daily and your donations are what keep our wheels turning and what keeps their heads above water. The transport Footprints 4 Sam provides together with our food and toiletry buckets bring smiles to so many families and we would hate for crime to ever stop these critical services that provide much needed relief and ensure that these incredible families know that they are not alone and that someone cares.

The good news is that our driver is physically well, emotionally he will need support, as will the family that were in the vehicle at the time of the attempted hijacking. We are so very proud of our incredible driver. He kept his head and ensured that he was able to get the vehicle and all his passengers as well as himself safely to the nearby police station. Our smash and grab on the windows held strong which we are also so grateful for. We are now ensuring that extra precautions are put in place, we have a long list sadly of “no go” areas and paediatric patients and their caregivers must now sadly make their way to a nearby police station in these areas to safely meet our vehicles. The mind just boggles!

Thank you for hearing my heart in this report and thank you that because of you and despite the crime and other barriers to care we are able to transport our young beneficiaries and their families as safely as it is in our power to do so. Both our driver and the family concerned will be receiving counselling.

As I sign off this report, 9615 passengers have received our services across Sam’s two minibuses. The true impact is beyond measure!

Always know you have made an enormous difference.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Warmest wishes,

Melissa

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