An attempted hijacking and armed robbery couldn’t keep this hero down; the community made sure he got counselling and a brand new phone he deserves!
Cape Town, South Africa (29 June 2020) – The Animal Welfare Society of SA, based in Cape Town, shared a story about Sivuyile, a trainee inspector, who was the victim of an attempted hijacking and armed robbery. His phone was stolen, but thankfully, he survived the ordeal unharmed.
It has become risky to be an animal welfare inspector in some of South Africa’s most vulnerable communities as hunger grows, desperation increases. Many are turning on the heroes that help them. We have seen several reports of animal rescue centres being held-up at gunpoint and cleaned out of anything valuable. It is terribly heartbreaking.
The light in people prevails, and they push through the trauma to ensure that the people and animals they serve, continue to get what they need despite the danger.
This is the case for Sivuyile. He has been haunted by the violence, but with the help of trauma counselling, he is ready to get back to his life-saving work. He has pushed through to make sure the animals don’t suffer.
Supporters of the Animal Welfare Society of SA hear Sivuyile’s story and came together to buy him a new cellphone.
“After having survived an attempted hi-jacking and armed robbery, Sivuyile is back on the beat making a difference. He is still shaken and will probably be haunted by this ordeal for some time, but he knows that he can count on all of us to provide him with whatever help and support he needs to overcome this nightmare.
Yesterday before attending his first of a few professional trauma counselling sessions, Sivuyile visited Delft to check on Blacky and Big Boy. He also distributed food, blankets, leads and bowls, kindly donated by members
of the Camps Bay CAN group, caring individuals and some of our amazing corporate sponsors to pet owners in the area.Whilst Sivuyile was out we took the opportunity to buy him an even better cellular phone, than the one he was forced to sacrifice and topped up his airtime by a meaningful amount.
Upon his return to base, our CEO Dr John McMullen shared everyone’s best wishes with Sivuyile and proudly presented him with his new phone. Sivuyile was quite overwhelmed to learn just how much he was adored and respected by everyone and could not believe how kind and generous many of our donors were.
Despite wearing his face mask (made by the talented Hats Off company) he could not hide his smile and wanted us to thank you for rallying to his aid.
Thanks to your spontaneous support and amazing words of encouragement you have not only replaced a hard-earned material possession but more importantly lifted the spirits of an entire team and given them hope and courage to persevere no matter the odds.
Giving is not just about making a donation, it’s about making a difference and what a difference you have made.”
In times of trouble, look for the helpers! Suviyile will continue his efforts to help those in need. He is a true hero!
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