Photo Adventures with Ed

Just Footprints

I became involved with Just Footprints through my volunteer photography at the Hole in the Wall Camp. When I was reading the 2009 annual report of the Hole in the Wall Camp, I noticed a little purple dot on one of the maps. The map depicted future expansion sites for Hole in the Wall Camps, and I noticed a purple dot near to where I would be traveling for my South African mountain bike adventure. So I decided to look up the founders of this South African camp to learn more about it.

I was greeted with open arms. Leone Jooste, chairperson of the camp, invited me to a camp session to meet the kids and the staff. Could anyone resist such a welcome? Well I couldn’t. And I couldn’t help but fall in love with these kids and what the camp is trying to do. So thus, I have become a Just Footprints evangelist.

Just Footprints aspires to work under the model of Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camps. In Southern Africa they are helping kids with serious life issues as the result of HIV/Aids and Cancer. The most important thing that they bring these kids is love. Many of them are from very poor townships. Some of these kids are eight to ten years old and are the primary caregivers for their family. At camp they get great food, warm beds, loving counselors, hope, medicine, and education. But perhaps most importantly, they get to play and just be a kid.

When you watch the video, note the simple things that kids get to do and share; things like washing dishes, learning about nature, getting exposed to people that care. Simple things you and I easily take for granted. Simple things that are absent for most of them without the care and oversight of the Camp.

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Take a look at the smiles the Camp makes possible,
keep one for yourself

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Just Footprints is in the process of purchasing a game park and some of the buildings featured in this video for the kids. They are in critical need of capital funding to move this Camp from “provisional” to a full fledged member of the Hole in the Wall family. Once they make their milestone, the Association of the Hole in the Wall will match their funds up to $1,000,000. You can help with this critical threshold funding by spreading the word and making a donation.

Help sponsor a new vision of Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camps by donating today at http://justfootprints.org.za/donate.asp and sending a smile. While you’re at it, take a smile from us.

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 22nd, 2010 at 7:38 am. It is filed under Charity, Just Footprints. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.