Articles
When were you born?
7 June 1991. So I’m 20 years old.
What do you do in your spare time?
Apart from studying and working, I enjoy reading, writing, and becoming involved in community upliftment programmes. I have also developed a great love for cooking and cleaning (LOL!) I’ve started enjoying the finer things in life by spending time in nature and with my kitten called “Ginger”. I like shopping for magazines, lip gloss, and clothes.
What is your favourite food?
Seafood and traditional potjiekos (layers of food cooked over a fire in a single pot so that the flavours interpenetrate), but also snacks like steak chip roll and masala steak gatsby.
What gets you worked-up?
The exploitation and abuse of children, and cruelty to animals. Other than that I am very tolerant of abnormal behaviour - LOL.
Of all the books you have read which one would you recommend and rate highest?
The Bible… Need I say more? The Bible is my personal dictionary. It provides you with all the answers and even tells you about the future.
Who or what motivated you to get involved in ERC?
I was introduced to ERC in February 2010 through a friend, Niven Chadwick. Then I did research on the organisation, went on camps, and soon it became my passion. I found a sense of belonging, and I felt like I was contributing towards redressing social ills. I’ve been motivated by the ERC’s day-to-day organisation, the behind-the-scenes effort that few people see, the dedication and passion and hard work of all ERC members, and the fruitful results they deliver in the fostering of friendships, trust, and support programs for the children that come on camps.
How did you find your first experience in the ERC role of Team Leader?
To effectively lead a group involves making sure that you gain from all team players their full support, participation, and engagement. I went through feelings of “what now?” and was bombarded with doubt, which was very surprising because I usually have high self-confidence. But as activities got underway I felt encouraged by the dedication displayed and by my group’s efforts to make me proud. I was able to delegate tasks to fellow leaders as well as win the attention from the vibrant little ones who made me enjoy every minute, running after them to get them in line, and answering their inquisitive minds. They reminded me of the innocence of youth and how as little ones all we want to do is play. They also made me wish that I could hold on to my youth forever. I especially enjoyed the daily session about what they want to become and about outlining objectives to achieve their future goals. I found I was capable of leading a group and having fun at the same time.
What are your plans for the future?
Long term plans: to obtain degrees in law, psychology, and photography, and then consider establishing my own firms.
Short term: to complete my degree in Public Relations Management, and gain more experience in the PR industry. Oh, and pass my driver’s license and get a car.
Your motto in life?
“Perfection is success”.
Any last words for future Eddie Ricers?
As a society we cannot change the world for one child nor can we eradicate child abuse and poverty in their entirety, but by showing children how we care we certainly can change the way they view their place in the world and help them re-author their lives for a better future. The Edmund Rice approach is essentially psycho-social: it influences how one sees life, opportunity, the future, and one’s current situation by its insistence on positive interaction.
October 2011
