Family
We are fortunate to be able to raise our kids in a rural part of Bucks County Pennsylvania.
With lots of woods in the neighborhood we often take hikes and explore nature.
Smoking Meat & Drinking Beer
As a native of South Africa, I am happy that our rural lifestyle allows access to sustainably raised food. I love grilling meat (Braai in South Africa) and has taking up smoking meat as well.
Biltong is a dried beef snack native to South Africa. A friend and I started making our own every winter. We get together the Friday after Thanksgiving and hang the cured beef in his smokehouse.
Of course, all the meat eating requires quality beer. I am always on the lookout for new and exciting beers.
Giving Back
United Front Against River Blindness (UFAR)
I got involved with UFAR after I met Daniel Shungu, Founder and Executive Director. After a career in Pharmaceutical Daniel wanted to give back to his native country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). River blindness is a debilitating illness with a cure. All that was needed was a plan to manage and distribute the medication. Daniel and his team have been so successful that they have now taken on other Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
Woman, Cradle of Abundance
My friend Elsie McKee grew up in the DRC, and her heart has always been with the people of the Congo. She has directed her volunteer efforts to support a local Congo charity Femme Berceau de l’Abondance. Their mission is to eradicate systemic poverty and violence against woman and girls in the DRC. They support safety: food and clothing for the destitute, medical help for those living with HIV/AIDS and survivors of rape, refuge from violence and counseling for trauma. They support education: literacy for girls and women, schooling for children and youth, teaching about human rights and women’s rights. They support economic empowerment: marketable skills, financial literacy, income-generating activities.
Adopt a South African Preschool (ASAP)
Like the name suggest, through ASAP you can donate funds toward the funding of an educational program to support a creche (day care center) in South Africa. The program provides critical building blocks (Play and Learn Kits) for children in informal childcare settings, they train and mentor caregivers, empowering them to become better equipped educators, and create new preschool hubs to expand their reach.
