Cape Town-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Willie Delport is at the heart of an initiative to ‘save the children’ and this time it is children from the Western Cape who will be the beneficiaries.
Delport, whose business success is synonymous with online gaming properties, is from the school of philanthropists who believe in the power of people and the only way to further empower people is to ensure they get the opportunity for education.
‘It is about creating an environment in which the child can learn, be educated and be in a position to determine their own destiny because of hard work and a desire to influence change, by way of their educated minds,’ Delport told Cape {town} Etc.‘We initiated some wonderfully exciting projects in Eswatini, where we partnered with the Times of Eswatini to “save the children”. We created funding for 55 pupils from the four regions, where their education fees are paid for. To contribute, however small in the bigger scheme of life, is satisfying, but the most satisfying feeling is seeing the joyful expression on those children’s faces knowing they are going to get an opportunity to learn.’
The Western Cape is home to Delport and he is under no illusion as to the privilege of schooling in the Western Cape.‘We have some of the finest institutions in the world in our province and these schools have been a nursery for so much excellence. The strength of those institutions is not in the sports fields, the concrete structures or the world-class facilities. The strength is in the opportunity each child gets to learn and to be educated,’ said Delport, referencing UNICEF’s reports on the millions of children denied education because of humanitarian hardships, social inequality and wars.‘In South Africa, we fortunately are not faced with wars, but the daily struggle is an individual war for survival for so many. Every individual educational opportunity is a small victory against that war and the collective of what is possible is the inspiration for the next generation of children to know the importance of school and education.’
Delport, who continues to expand his online gaming business, will launch a Western Cape-based property in the coming weeks, which he says will also allow for funding to be given back to education and to improving the lives of children and, especially, single mothers.‘For my wife and myself, wanting to make a contribution to those single mothers’ lives is another way of positively influencing the child’s environment and I am blessed to live the privileges of a strong family unit, with a wonderful wife, but there are so many who, through circumstances, are not in such a fortunate position.’‘Our go-to word as a family has always been ONE. You have ONE life and ONE opportunity. We want to make that ONE difference for the ONE mother and child and if we can change the lives of just that ONE, we are making that difference because there is so much in the power of ONE.’Delport’s interest in investing in the Eswatini community, by way of education, was born from his business association with the country and a desire to give back to the children.
‘The number “55” was deliberate as we also wanted to honour the country’s 55/55 celebrations which marked His Majesty King Mswati III’s birthday and the country’s 55th year of independence.’Now Delport has more opportunities to make that difference closer to home.‘We have some very exciting initiatives for the year and beyond and it focuses on education and creating those environments for the children. If we can teach the children, they become the next generation’s teachers. An educated country’s people make for a healthy and powerful country.’‘As my wife always says, it starts with creating that ONE educational moment for that ONE child.’
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