When you have the ambitious idea of starting a charity and making a difference, you need to find trustees. When you start as small as Khanya did, you look to friends and associates with open hearts, and ideally, useful skills. Martin McGann was a close friend of mine and Ade Lusmore, we knew him through our church, and when we asked him to be a trustee he had no hesitation in saying 'yes'. At the time he was a barrister, he hadn't been to South Africa and knew little about it, but his natural inquisitiveness soon brought him up to speed and he was invaluable sorting out the legalities of bank accounts and charity registration and legal agreements with our partners in Grahamstown. When it came to fundraising, whether in person or on line, he was always willing to help. The picture above is from 2019 at our Call my Bluff winetasting fundraiser, Martin is on the left with fellow trustees, Emily and Rob Fryer. In September 2020 he gave up the law and started training for the priesthood. He hoped to do a placement at Grahamstown Cathedral to see for himself the environment and society in which Khanya is trying to work. Shockingly, we heard on 20 July that he had died, he was 37. There is a big hole in our lives and our hearts and the Khanya trustees will miss his wise counsel and sense of humour. Thank you, Martin, for your encouragement and support, may you rest in peace.
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AuthorChristina Thomas is a trustee of Khanya and serial volunteer at Amasango Career School. Archives
June 2024
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