It is with great sadness that the STAR of the tour we do in Mossel Bay - "Meet the People" - Pride versus Poverty style township tour - Janneman passed away last month. I was so shocked to hear this as I think he was not much older than me. Janneman was a wheelchair user that was such a success story of achievement through gaining self worth and understanding his ability rather than his disability. Janneman made hand stitched leather handbags. It all started about 5 years ago, when Jauckie Viljoen met this sad, shy man who did not understand he had talent to make his future more comfortable and find his self asteem and his pride. With a lot of encouragement he found all of this and I became very fond of this gentle-man - emphasis on gentle. From first meeting him where he would not look in the eye, because his disability literally got in the way. He thought that because he was in a wheelchair he was useless, no one in a wheelchair is useless, but it takes time to find that wealth within that strong essense of life that when found spring out and brings joy to all who meet the person. Janneman came out of this shell so much I could not wait to see how he had "grown" each time we visited with overseas guests. Most said he was the highlight of the tour. So now what?? His passing has left this huge chasm that will never be filled in the way Janneman made eveyone feel so humbled. He will be sorely missed by all knew him. Our condolenses to his family and friends. Pam Taylor - Flamingo Tours.
