When Gavron Engineering owner, Gavin Cullen, got involved with the Emntsalani Junior Tennis Club six years ago, he never expected to be so blown away by the talent the young children have, let alone the attachment he now has to each of them.
Cullen was particularly moved by seeing the grandmother of one of the club’s star players, Asakhanya Jantjie, who is currently ranked the number one Tennis South Africa u/16 player in the Eastern Cape, and how she struggles to take care of her eight grandchildren.
“The grandmother, Thembisa Gertrude Jantjie, lives in a very small dwelling and is looking after many of her grandchildren. She has no regular income and has to make do on state grants. I’ve also employed her to work two days a week at my two workshops, just to give the family some further financial assistance,” the entrepreneur said.
Feeling as though he needed to do more to help, Cullen, his daughter in-law Tammy, and son Ryan Matthew decided to gift the Jantjies with a caravan to provide extra room and privacy for the older children.
“These kids don’t have the ideal living situation, but in spite of their backgrounds they are proving what is possible, and that is why we decided to offer assistance in the form of the caravan.”
Cullen approached his neighbour, Dawid Barnard, who owns Liberty Caravans, to make improvements on the caravan, who gladly helped Cullen at a reasonable rate.
“Between Dawid and me, we provided a complete refit of the unit which has two sleeping bunks, two desks, lighting/plugs and plenty of cupboard/storage space,” he explained.
Cullen was happy when he saw the smiles on the face of Jantjie and her grandchildren after delivering the caravan to their KwaZakhele home.
Jantjie said she could not believe her eyes when she saw what Cullen had brought.
“I think I was more shocked because I was not expecting anything remotely close to that. His kindness is beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed. My daughter, Asakhanya’s mother, and his father died a while ago, and it’s been a struggle since.”
One of the rooms in the house they live in has leaks on the roof and walls, so when it rains, the children get soaked.
“I thank God for Mr Gavin; I thank him for allowing himself to be an empty vessel so that God is able to use him in unimaginable ways. I pray God pours so many blessings on him and his entire family, until there’s no more room to store them. The kids now sleep in the caravan, do their assignments there, and their privacy and dignity has been restored,” she added, overwhelmed with gratitude.
Cullen said he was excited for the future of Asakhanya and the rest of the Jantjie kids, but for the entire tennis club members as well.
“Those kids are extremely talented; you should see them in action. I have no doubt their talent is going to take them and their families to new heights, and I’m always more than happy to do what I can to assist wherever I can,” he said.
