Grammy Award Winner Helped SOS Children’s Village Girl Follow Her Dreams
Sandra Lopez grew up in an organisation in South Africa for orphaned and abandoned children. Today she is a qualified engineer and small business owner… and it’s thanks in part to world famous South African musician Wouter Kellerman (who is currently up for a Hollywood award for his cover of Ed Sheeran’s Shape Of You […]
Sandra Lopez grew up in an organisation in South Africa for orphaned and abandoned children. Today she is a qualified engineer and small business owner… and it’s thanks in part to world famous South African musician Wouter Kellerman (who is currently up for a Hollywood award for his cover of Ed Sheeran’s Shape Of You with the Ndlovu Youth Choir)!
Lopez said on social media on Tuesday: “You’ll might know him as the Grammy Award winning flutist & composer, I just know him as a humble guy who had a hand in helping shape my life.
“Sometimes it takes JUST ONE person to believe in you.
“Sometimes it takes JUST ONE act of kindness to help shape a person’s life. I was fortunate enough to be raised by an entire village…”
The ‘village’ was the SOS Children’s Village in Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg.
Flautist Kellerman posted a photo of himself and Lopez on Facebook and explained: “Sandra was one of the lovely kids in the SOS Children’s Village in Ennnerdale when I first started sponsoring them.
“Met her for dinner last night, and she is now a graduated qualified engineer and runs her own small business – her energy, enthusiasm and positive spirit is so inspiring!
“So much credit is due to the SOS Children’s Villages South Africa and the amazing housemothers like Tannie Fyna for the incredible work they do ☺️ so proud of you Sandra Lopez.”
SOS Children’s Villages have been taking care of kids who’ve lost parental care since 1949. They’re independent, non-governmental and non-denominational.. and they depend on the kindness of people like Wouter Kellerman – committed and passionate partners, donors, sponsors and friends.
In a previous interview with SheLeadsAfrica, Lopez said of SOS Children’s Village: “As ironic as it sounds, we were raised to believe in ourselves and to always extend a helping hand to others less fortunate. We were extremely fortunate growing up at the village.”
It was through the school and planned holidays that Lopez discovered a passion for travel, which led to her founding X-Plaw Travel, a group-based travel company aimed at helping young South Africans explore outside their borders.
And while Wouter Kellerman‘s career path has been growing from strength to strength (it was he who first put the Ndlovu Youth Choir on the map with ‘Shape of You’) the young girl he sponsored has also been following her dreams, and was able to leave her engineering job to work full-time on X-Plaw.
Today one of her friends in Pretoria said: “Super proud of you Sandra … you have beaten the odds through hard work and determination. Big Up to Wouter … exceptional musician .. ? … ??”
Another said: “You are such an amazing soul Sandra. You have overcome circumstances that could easily bring someone down. You have become the epitome of success in your own right. At every opportunity you give back. Your kind heart and focused attitude is transcending you to greater heights. Shine on gal?”
Many thanked Kellerman for his kindness “??inspiration, encouragement, love and sponsorship”, for “making a world of difference in the lives of those in need” and for “both being an example to all of us”.
#StrongerTogether #PayItForward
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