Akho

Akho was one of the first kids I worked with, and he's a big part of why Lolla's Light exists today. I started working with Akho through Litoro Foundation when he was in Grade 6, which paired students with tutors and mentors. I was Akho's tutor and would spend every Saturday with him, going through his school work, helping him with concepts that tripped him up and making sure he got some extra practice in.

Looking back now, it's hard to believe how shy he was. In most of our sessions, I did 90% of the talking. Over time, he warmed up to me and I remember getting so stoked when he started chatting to me and telling me about his life.

He did really well at school one term and I decided to take him to the movies to celebrate. On the way home, I asked him what he'd like to do for our next fun activity, and he said 'I want to learn how to swim in the deep end of the pool'. I took to my Instagram and asked if people would be willing to donate so I could fund a term of swimming lessons for him. I got so many donations that Akho was able to go to swimming lessons for a full year. Everyone's generosity and kindness just blew my mind; if you're one of the OGs who helped us make Akho's dream happen, thank you!

Akho started swimming and in no time he became a great swimmer. We upgraded from swimming lessons to surfing lessons, which brought him so much joy (and inspired me to try something new and learn how to surf as well - thanks, Akho).

Akho told me that he wanted braces, and I remember thinking 'oh no, I don't know how on Earth Lolla's Light could afford that'. But I promised him I'd try to get the funds, even though I felt it would be impossible. I still can't quite believe what happened when I posted about the fundraiser on Instagram. The response was insane - there's no better word to describe it. I thought it would take about 6 months of fundraising to get the deposit together, and then I'd cover the remaining instalments from my salary. But I was wrong; we hit our target (and then surpassed it) within 3 days. Being able to tell Akho that he'd be getting braces is still one of my happiest moments.

Optismile Advanced Dentistry gave us an amazing discount and Akho was able to get Invisalign. Over the course of about 2 years, Optismile took great care of him and helped him achieve his dream smile. It still feels so surreal, but I'm so chuffed with how it worked out - and it's all thanks to you guys.

Akho is an exceptional runner, who seems to get faster every week. He was selected for many regional competitions and absolutely crushed them, moving through to the next rounds easily. I'm super proud of how hard he works at his running and all the effort I know he puts in for it.

We were really lucky and managed to secure a spot at Camps Bay High School for Akho, which is where he spent the final 5 years of his school career. It is still crazy to me how quickly his high school career flew by - I vividly remember his first day of Grade 8, and now he's matriculated already! I feel so lucky to have been at Akho's side for so long now, and it's an incredible privilege to have been able to watch him become the wonderful person he is today.

Akho is currently completing an internship and loving it. I can't wait to see what he does next.