New Red Cross manager
KNYSNA - The Red Cross branch in Knysna has been under new management for six months, with long-time serviceman Abel Brown having joined the branch from the Red Cross in Wynberg. His appointment has now been made permanent.
With his move to Knysna, Brown (41) has taken over the only Red Cross branch in the entire Southern Cape. But, if he has anything to say about it, there will soon be more. "We are working hard to be able to expand the reach of the Red Cross in the region," he says. "We have already put in place plans to expand to Harkerville and Karatara, and plan to go even bigger." According to Brown, this is largely because the resources available at the Knysna branch are stretched thin due to the wide area it covers. "If we're able to split up the coverage areas and share the resources between other branches, we can provide much better and efficient services to the communities in the region," Brown explains. He acknowledges that there are challenges that lie in his path, but will not be deterred from his goals of improving the Red Cross' service in the Southern Cape.
Background
Brown moved to Knysna from Cape Town, where he has spent the majority of his life, having grown up in the Lotus River suburb. He lived across the road from the primary school he attended. Due to tough familial circumstances Brown had to leave high school in Grade 9 and begin working in construction to support his family. The area in which he lived never made matters any easier. "The area has always had a problem with gangs, and I came very close to joining that life too," he says. "But, one of my teachers refused to let me join the gang life and he introduced me to the Red Cross and various other youth groups to keep me away from that life." Brown first crossed paths with the Red Cross Society at the age of 12, and throughout his struggles in his teenage years they provided assistance to his family.
"They were always there when we needed food, clothes, or anything at all. The society even helped me obtain my matric certificate at a later age," Brown remembers.
He moved on from construction work to the Department of Social Development and the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) where he assisted with data collection at various sites and centres in his area. From there he moved into the private sector where he continued doing data collection, walking from door to door to carry out different surveys.
This saw him live and work in various other parts of the country, but his heart always belonged in Cape Town.
"I could just feel I had to come home, my son was there and I had to be with him," he says. Upon moving back to the Mother City, Brown began his own data collection business which he still oversees while in Knysna.
20 years with Red Cross
Throughout all of his work he has continued to serve the Red Cross. "I've worked with the Red Cross for about 20 years now, and I have loved every single minute of it."
Just because he is envisioning the bigger picture, he will not lose sight of Knysna. He has plans to grow the branch here too. "We want to provide a facility where, in times of need, people can come to us and we can help them in whatever way possible. We want to build up a collection of clothes or whatever donations we receive so that people can pass through our doors and almost 'shop' for whatever they need to get by." However, in order to achieve this, Brown and the Red Cross need donations and assistance from the community. If you would like to lend a hand and make a difference, you can contact the Red Cross in Knysna on 044 382 1244.