Eddie Botha met unemployed Liandro Lodewyk and helped him get an opportunity of a lifetime. Liandro has not wasted a moment and is now a top achiever.
Eddie Botha shared an inspiring story on his Facebook page recently. He had moved to Gaansbaai in 2015 and joined a local tennis club to continue his passion for the sport. While at the club, he made a friend…
“There weren’t many players but one, a young guy, Liandro Lodewyk, caught my eye. He was a terrific player”
Liandro Lodewyk is equally as passionate about the game of tennis and get this, he learned how to play by watching tennis players on TV. He spent his days at the club practising as he had nothing else to do. He was unemployed because there was job scarcity in his area.
Eddie befriended Liandro and learned more about his life, his passions, his tennis skills and his dreams. He realised he was speaking to a man that had great potential if only the opportunities would present themselves. Eddie decided to help Liandro, this is the inspiring story…
“Liandro, who matriculated at Hermanus high school, comes from a very poor background and could not get a job, except during the festive season when Gansbaai’s municipality employed extra temporary staff. One day sitting at the tennis courts, I asked Liandro what he would like to be in life. An Afrikaans teacher, he replied.”
Eddie used his contacts to change Liandro’s life!
“To cut a long story short, I got in touch with the former vice chancellor of Free State University, prof Jonathan Jansen, while he was on a trip overseas and he arranged for Liandro to get a bursary to study there from 2016.
I met Liandro and his family at the bus station in Cape Town when he left for a trip into the unknown.”
Fastforward a few years and Liandro is thriving in his studies. Eddie keeps in contact and recently got the most impressive news.
“I received a whatsapp from him to inform me that he has been awarded as the best education student in his residence and also the best overall achiever.”
“Thanks to prof Jansen this kid, who really came from a disadvantaged community, grabbed the opportunity given to him with both hands (and he is like Rafa Nadal, a self taught lefty on the tennis court) and will hopefully soon teach kids such as himself that there is a future beyond their dreams. You have made us proud Liandro.”
This incredible story just goes to show how one small opportunity can make such a massive impact on a person’s life. If we keep an eye out for each other, the world truly will be a better place.