Model Citizen

A day off in Cape Town .

I arrived to Cape Town on the 9^th January and was met by a generous driver named Brian, we exchanged a few words about all aspects of Cape Town, the rich and the struggling, the developed and undeveloped and I told him of how I wanted to see and be involved in it all. Brian (who m I am almost adamant was sent to be by the grace of god) runs and outreach program named Jorvan Outreach, which was set up to help those with disadvantaged backgrounds and everyday living. I knew instantly that I wanted in.

Within a week I was travelling to the Black Township of Khayelitsha, I was immediately greeted with smiles from small faces and, as I stepped out of the car at Mamma Rose’s community kitchen the children flooded in dozen by dozen. It was only by spending an hour with the children did I realize how grateful they are for nothing more than interaction. They did not ask for anything but their eyes asked for fun, so we raced, we played a few games and since that moment I cannot stop thinking about them, or Mamma Rose and her accomplice who run a non profit community kitchen, the joy in their eyes from helping the community was a multiplication of millions compared to the joy in mine who only spent an hour there.

It goes to show how helping someone who can never repay you truly gives you a true meaning of living.

I also visited three other projects that day with Brian, including a high school where I got to speak to the teenagers and hopefully induced them with as much empowerment as possible. We also stopped by at Philippi’s Children Centre, where all the children were having naptime, I loved what all the people involved in these projects where doing, but I was deeply moved by the community kitchen in Khayelitsha, I couldn’t help feeling like being there for a short amount of time was almost like observing a species, so I have agreed with Brian I will go back and commit more time there on my day off castings and work.

If you feel like you would like to get involved I almost encourage you speak to Jorvan Outreach – jorvanoutreach@telkomsa.net

Kirsty – Topco Models

Kirsty Parsons is a stunning model from Wales and a model citizen. Diving into volunteering in a new country, Kirsty is the type of person who touches the spirit of everyone she comes in contact with. I had the joy of being her roomie for my first month here is Cape Town. She wrote this in hopes to encourage other models visiting Cape Town to dive in and help.