Lego
Photo by Enric Cruz López via Pexels

Melissa Liebenberg reached out to The Village, an online community, for help in finding second-hand Lego for her autistic son who loves building cars.

 

South Africa (29 October 2023) – Melissa’s son loves to build Lego cars but had run out of pieces to keep going, not wanting him to have to pull apart the cars he so dearly adores, Melissa reached out to The Village for help in finding a second-hand supplier. Members of the incredible online community responded in kindness and before long, the Liebenbergs were back in Lego dreamland!

Melissa took to the group to explain that her 18-year-old son is autistic so he mostly functions at a 12-year-old level emotionally. She shared that aside from loving the solar system and Lego, it was cars he loves the most and even more so, building them out of Lego.

“He is soft-spoken and so loving and caring. He is combining his love for cars and Lego and making the most amazing cars with it. The problem is he has to break up the cars he built when he wants to build a new one which has him heartbroken over it.

“He doesn’t have much and it makes him so happy to build these cars. Lego is expensive. I know this. So my question is if there is a place where we can buy used Lego. Thank you all for all the advice and the support and the LOVE you always give here. So proud to be part of this amazing village.”

The Village rallied and before long, people were offering to send their own collections to Melissa’s son. A month later, she returned to share an update with the group, to show all the cars her son had built since receiving his new Lego pieces.

“Dear amazing Villagers. On the 22nd of September, I asked if anybody knew where I could get used Lego. I was overwhelmed with the kindness of every person in this group.

I have had amazing people that just sent my son Lego out of the goodness of their hearts.

I Would like to thank each and every one of you.

My son is building as soon as he gets home from school. He doesn’t stop until dinner time. He is so happy and he doesn’t have to break up cars to start another. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. You are absolutely wonderful.”

The proverb goes, “It takes a village to raise a child” and this inspiring Facebook group helps embody that proverb daily. Every member of the group commits themselves to offering advice, words of comfort and lending a helping hand whenever they can.

What is The Village?

The Village is an online community aimed at parents of tweens, teens and young adults, founded and managed by Vanessa Raphaely. Having raised three children herself, all while running a successful career, Vanessa is no stranger to the old adage that ‘It takes a Village to raise a child’. She has also watched in dismay as South Africa, in particular, has lost this sense of community as families retreat further and further behind their high walls and into their own small circles. Most especially during the COVID-19 lockdown years.

With a small inkling that she could recreate this sense of community in cyberspace, she launched The Village in 2017 – with some very strict rules, the most stringent of which is one simple rule we should all abide by in life: Just Be Kind. The result is an online community of over 50,000 parents, from all walks of life, who are supportive, non-judgemental, kind, and giving.

The content in The Village is primarily user-generated, which is to say it is created by members, posting their questions, advice, comments and thoughts on parenting in the modern age. From help and support surrounding teenage mental health to practical solutions for parents looking for alternative solutions for their neurodiverse kids, from subject choices to career guidance, and from skincare to real advice about sex, drugs and rock n roll from parents who have been there, and done that.

The entire group is expertly curated by Vanessa and a small group of trusted admins, to ensure that it remains a safe and respectful environment for its Village members.

To join The Village, click here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1718861155110611/


Sources: The Village
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google
Have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

About the Author

Tyler Leigh Vivier is a writer for Good Things Guy.

Her passion is to spread good news across South Africa with a big focus on environmental issues, animal welfare and social upliftment. Outside of Good Things Guy, she is an avid reader and lover of tea.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *