Since volunteering as a nurse in training for the first time in 2011 in a small hospital in Adelaide (South Africa), I knew that my future will be in South Africa. I have experienced here that with my profession and great readiness to help, I can help many people who urgently need it. Since then, my motto has been to make a difference.

In order to be more independent and able to help even more in South Africa, I decided to study medicine. Now, as a doctor and nurse, I can also passionately offer the best medical help.

Children have always been close to my heart and here in South Africa there are hundreds, even thousands of children who's eyes are desperately crying for help, love, safety and a home. Together with my husband Sibusiso Gigi, I committed myself to do my best, to offer a hopeful future for at least some children in need. We see the reward for this every day in the sparkling eyes of the children of the iThemba Family in our house and hopefully soon in the iThemba Home . I want to help as many people as possible with the opportunities I have - ideally with a better future, but sometimes it is only possible to improve a few hours of their life. The thankfulness of the adults and children in need makes every effort worthwhile!

In 2016 my future wife, Ranjana Gigi, asked me to translate for the Swiss Board of Aid. Most of the people in need in the Eastern Cape speak my native language isiXhosa and often struggle to express themselves in English. I have always wanted to help children in need in our country and was impressed by the work of the Swiss Board of Aid. By becoming a member, I was able to realise my dream of helping others. As a South African from the region, I can help with all matters for the Swiss Board of Aid that require my nationality, language and cultural knowledge. The first child of the iThemba Family, has been living with me since 2018 and I took care of her when Ranjana Gigi was still mostly living in Switzerland. The home of me and my wife is now the home of the iThemba family. As a civil engineer, I will support the construction of the iThemba Home and the iThemba School. It is a daily joy to give children in need a home and to witness their change from shy and traumatised little people to confident and joyful children.

Since the foundation of the Swiss Board of Aid, I have been passionately committed to our projects. I am often in South Africa and like to get in touch with the people in need. The gratitude in their eyes always touches me, humbles me and gives me energy when I am back in Switzerland to support them wherever I can. I organise everything in Switzerland that is not possible for our daughter Ranjana Gigi, who mostly lives in South Africa. I am responsible for the sale of the South African articles and handcraft made by ourselves (driftwood lamps, jams, apple chips, truffles, shell jewelry, baby booties etc.) in Switzerland. I have a small shop at my home in Winterthur and post the ordered items from the Onlineshop . I also support my husband Peter Briner collecting and transporting donated items. In Switzerland, I and my husband keep in touch with our donors and try to continously acquire more donations.

We in Switzerland live in an extremely privileged world. Therefore, I wholeheartedly like to give something back to people who are not on the sunny side of life. I can attest from my experience: Giving and doing something good definitely makes you happier than taking.

During my years as a pilot, I transported many relief goods, even before the Swiss Board of Aid was founded. Since my retirement, I have supported the Swiss Board of Aid projects wherever I can. I like to help by collecting donated items, at the Christmas market or wherever I am needed. I transport the generously donated goods from Switzerland directly to East London in South Africa at my own expense. I know the situation in South Africa very well, know how helpful and valuable our work from Switzerland is and how much gratitude people show us. I again and again experience very touching encounters in South Africa. My conclusion: These people are financially poor but rich in their heart and we can learn a lot from them.

I have established Guardians of Hope Place of Safety in East London (South Africa) where we provide a home, love, and care to abandoned, destitute and babies given up for adoption. I have joined the Swiss Board of Aid because I have so much information to share in terms of caring for vulnerable children. I am a foster mom, a safety mom and an adoption mom, so I really got some knowledge as I have taken care of over 300 children. I know that I would be able to make a huge difference to this organisation. 

I am a social worker by profession. I live and work in East London (South Africa). My motto is alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. I have a passion to work with people, especially children and helping children in need. My aim has always been to be part of an organisation that is motivated to help children. Through the Swiss Board of Aid, I am able to walk a road with other passionate people to help people and children in need. This can provide a child with opportunities that they never had.