Mother of three Els said her children thought she was crazy when she shared her idea, including her athletic daughter.
“At first it was unbelievable. When we were on that journey on the second day when they realised, this was happening, we are now on the road and there is no turning back, they started to support me.
“They now know that if you say you are going to do something you must do it and that is what I wanted to show my children. I wanted to show them that if you say you are going to help somebody, then help them, even if it's with something small,” Els said.
When she reached Cape Town her family had made new friends for life.
“I am constantly in conversations with them, even today. We became friends. It's amazing, the messages I get from strangers — they gave me hope, but they are telling me I gave them hope. There is still hope in our fellow South Africans, we still care about one another. It's as if we were just scared to show it. It's nothing for me now to meet someone new and immediately hug them, the smiles and the joy — its amazing,” she said.
In July, Els travelled back on the same road when she had to go to Bloemfontein.
“When we drove back on the same road I phoned the people and they waited for us next to the road just to say hello and to hug, and have little conversations, as if we have known each other for years.”
Els's motto is “do what you can with what you have”.
“We got on that road that morning with no money and we wondered how we were going to make money. Twenty minutes after hitting the road [it] just came together, people were out there and wanted to help. Our people are hungry, we are not hungry for food but we are hungry for communication with one another.”
Els said South Africans did their part to make her child's dream come true.
“I can never say thank you enough. I am a fat grey old lady and I got onto that little tractor. Every day it was strange people we met, but we are now friends. Don't be scared, don't be shy. It's not a shame not to have money or food, it's not a shame to ask, they can only say no. Some people will say no, but some people will say yes. So do what you can with what you have and have faith in one another and love one another. That is what I have learnt in this,” she said.
When she reached the end of her journey, she said there were a lot of tears of joy and her daughter cannot thank her enough.
“Even these days, every day it's a hug there and it's a thank you there, little letters, she can't say thank you enough. It's just our normal people. It's your neighbour, it's the people around us, they came out of no big companies — we raised that money from normal South Africans.”
Els said her journey has transformed her daughter.
“It was good for her, when she came back she came back grown. She is wiser, she was telling me all the things she did in Italy. She is going to matric next year, it's amazing to see how it all built up, from where she was before she left and when she came back. This tractor trip ripened us, it opened our eyes that there is good in our country,” she said.
Els has now joined a veteran tractor club in the Western Cape which does charity work.
Her next project is to raise funds for Marconette's tug-of-war team to compete in Kimberley at the end of March at the SA Junior Tug-of-War Championships.
She said transport and accommodation for about 25 children is needed and she is trying to organise that.
TimesLIVE
'South Africans showed me what we can do for one another': fundraising mother
A mother who made an epic almost 1,800km tractor journey to raise funds for her daughter's tug-of-war championships cannot be thankful enough
Image: Supplied
Despite all the problems such as load-shedding, gender-based violence and the high cost of living, South Africans still show love and warm hearts.
In midwinter, strangers opened their doors and offered food, petrol, support and hugs to a mother on a tractor trip to raise funds for her daughter to attend the tug-of-war world championship in Switzerland.
In the old tractor that stood idle on the farm for five years, Corne Els travelled from Krugersdorp in the west of Johannesburg to the Western Cape.
Her cross-country jaunt of 13 days ended after 1,796km and raised R100,000 to help her daughter Marconette compete at the world champs.
Els said the journey, which seemed impossible at the beginning, brought her family closer together.
“Our relationship at home has lightened up, it's strong, and there is a lot of laughter in the house. It's a bond — we are closer than we were before it started.”
After raising the money needed, Marconette left for Switzerland on August 28 and returned on September 8.
“The team competed and were fifth in the division, which was not bad. They spent a few days in Italy after the competition,” she said.
Image: Suplied
Mother of three Els said her children thought she was crazy when she shared her idea, including her athletic daughter.
“At first it was unbelievable. When we were on that journey on the second day when they realised, this was happening, we are now on the road and there is no turning back, they started to support me.
“They now know that if you say you are going to do something you must do it and that is what I wanted to show my children. I wanted to show them that if you say you are going to help somebody, then help them, even if it's with something small,” Els said.
When she reached Cape Town her family had made new friends for life.
“I am constantly in conversations with them, even today. We became friends. It's amazing, the messages I get from strangers — they gave me hope, but they are telling me I gave them hope. There is still hope in our fellow South Africans, we still care about one another. It's as if we were just scared to show it. It's nothing for me now to meet someone new and immediately hug them, the smiles and the joy — its amazing,” she said.
In July, Els travelled back on the same road when she had to go to Bloemfontein.
“When we drove back on the same road I phoned the people and they waited for us next to the road just to say hello and to hug, and have little conversations, as if we have known each other for years.”
Els's motto is “do what you can with what you have”.
“We got on that road that morning with no money and we wondered how we were going to make money. Twenty minutes after hitting the road [it] just came together, people were out there and wanted to help. Our people are hungry, we are not hungry for food but we are hungry for communication with one another.”
Els said South Africans did their part to make her child's dream come true.
“I can never say thank you enough. I am a fat grey old lady and I got onto that little tractor. Every day it was strange people we met, but we are now friends. Don't be scared, don't be shy. It's not a shame not to have money or food, it's not a shame to ask, they can only say no. Some people will say no, but some people will say yes. So do what you can with what you have and have faith in one another and love one another. That is what I have learnt in this,” she said.
When she reached the end of her journey, she said there were a lot of tears of joy and her daughter cannot thank her enough.
“Even these days, every day it's a hug there and it's a thank you there, little letters, she can't say thank you enough. It's just our normal people. It's your neighbour, it's the people around us, they came out of no big companies — we raised that money from normal South Africans.”
Els said her journey has transformed her daughter.
“It was good for her, when she came back she came back grown. She is wiser, she was telling me all the things she did in Italy. She is going to matric next year, it's amazing to see how it all built up, from where she was before she left and when she came back. This tractor trip ripened us, it opened our eyes that there is good in our country,” she said.
Els has now joined a veteran tractor club in the Western Cape which does charity work.
Her next project is to raise funds for Marconette's tug-of-war team to compete in Kimberley at the end of March at the SA Junior Tug-of-War Championships.
She said transport and accommodation for about 25 children is needed and she is trying to organise that.
TimesLIVE
MORE:
‘We have warm hearts in this country’ — Joy at reception of mom on tractor journey from Krugersdorp to the Cape
Tractor trip to tug-of-war world champs
Sunflower of Potchefstroom: Jo-Ané van Dyk is only just getting started
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
News and promos in your inbox
subscribeMost read
Latest Videos