Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Being the difference in vulnerable young lives
“HIS achievements cannot be acknowledged with a reward or trophy. He has saved so many young men from going down the wrong path. He has given families and communities new hope.”
These are the words of Cheetahs fullback and Cape Town-born rugby player Craig Barry, describing his friend Granthem Abrahams.
Abrahams, 34, is the chief executive of Be The Difference (BTD) Foundation, which runs three socio-economic programmes: development through sport, educational development and nutritional development. The development through sport programme takes place three times a week with an elite group of boys selected from 12 different schools on the BTD Foundation local sport days, clinics and talent identification days. The educational programme is used as a platform to promote a student athlete lifestyle.
The nutritional programme takes place twice a day from Monday to Sunday to feed those in need. It provides between 600 and 1 700 meals a day in Kraaifontein, Strand, Franschhoek, Ravensmead, Elsies River, Swellendam, George and Heidedal in Bloemfontein.
For the past 12 weeks, they’ve been dropping off food parcels to 236 families. Since schools reopened they’ve distributed 630 sanitary bags with toiletries and more than 350 toiletry bags for boys in matric.
“The only difference we’ll see is by helping our fellow South Africans. This should be a priority. The youth should take full responsibility for their life, regardless of what they’ve been through, trust the process and be the difference,” said Abrahams.
“Our mission is to serve hope every day, wherever we set foot. Our longterm goal is to cut the red ribbon at our own High Performance Centre where the youth can come every day. We trust to have our own building,” added Abrahams, whose first priority is his 8-year-old boy.
“Family is important to me and I love spending time with them. I’m all about relationships, I value people, hence family and friends are life. I love reading and empowering myself. The outdoors is what gets and refreshes me,” he said.
Barry added: “We are like brothers. We look out for each other and also sharpen each other. We keep each other accountable to what is right and push each other to the things that sometimes seem impossible in a man’s eyes.”
Rugby World Cup win player Damian Willemse, who has been involved with BTD Foundation, said: “It’s important to help people who aren’t as fortunate as us. I feel that sometimes we want to help when the problem arrives but it should come naturally. The BTD Foundation projects have humbled me.”
Also involved in the foundation is three-time Safta-nominated actor Siv Ngesi, who expressed his admiration.
“They’re doing incredible work. I’m really inspired to be a member of the team. It’s something to look forward to during lockdown every morning.”