Ons Huis Retirement Home - 2013-15

Quesnel has a significant South African contingent and with their assistance, we hosted A Toast to South Africa to raise funds for a project to help renovate the Ons Huis Retirement Home in Mossel Bay.

 

Quesnel residents and South African emigrees Kobus Westraadt and Fred Van Dyk helped connect us with Rotary Club of Mossel Bay who provided details of the needs for Ons Huis Retirement Home - click on the picture to the right to read their letter and the Photo Album link in the menu to your left for pictures of the facility.

 

In October 2013, Rotarian Liane Kimmie and her husband Bill went to South Africa with Kobus and Fred, and paid a visit to Ons Huis. They were struck by the genuine home-like atmosphere along with the clear need for upgrade and renovation for which government funding was simply not available.

 

Having determined the amount of funding required, our club put on a tremendously successful "Toast to South Africa", an evening of South African cultural immersion which not only raised enough funds for the Ons Huis project with Rotary Club of Mossel Bay but also enabled us to donate to Refilwe Community Project, for repairing the leaking roofs of the orphanage and other repair works at two different Daycare Centres.

 

All the renovation work at Ons Huis was completed in time for Christmas 2014.

 

Massive thanks go to Rotarian Dean Rohrs, Past-District Governor of District 5040, for bringing the Refilwe Community Project to our attention and then gifting her time in helping local Rotarian Rebecca MacPherson put on a South African dinner...perhaps proving that the way to a Rotarian's heart (and wallet) is by stimulating their taste buds! And of course to the many donors and Toast attendees for their generosity with their support of our event.