Sometimes there are these simply beautiful stories that fuel our hope for humanity, and this is one of them. George, a 71-year-old ice-cream vendor was rewarded by the community with a pension fund after warming the hearts of many along the Blouberg beach. For over four decades, George not only sold ice creams from his bicycle but also showed unwavering kindness and friendliness. Even going as far as to give free ice-creams to less fortunate children. He says that a child should not go without ice cream. George is the perfect example of someone who understands the real values of life.
George’s Story
Since 1973, George Phontshe Peni from Khayelitsha has sold ice-creams from his bicycle along Blouberg beach. Come rain or shine, George was there. And regardless of any struggles he may have faced, he brought with him kindness, friendliness and patience. For over 40 years, he has brought joy to many residents from Blouberg, without asking for anything in return.
Now that the years have caught up with him, he faces a few more challenges, such as not being able to ride his bicycle. As a result, business has also become slower for George. Nonetheless, on any day that he can afford the transport fees, you will still find him on the beach, pushing his bicycle along with a smile on his face.
How George’s Fund Started
One day, Michelle Nel, an old favourite customer of his, encountered him stuck without funds to get home. At this point Michelle decided that she needed to help. This man gave away so much more than just ice-creams, she states “The more I saw George, I couldn’t help but envy his equanimity in the simplicity of his lifestyle. It’s like he figured it out, you know.”
So she started rallying the community that George had contributed so much to. With help from the Blouberg community, she wanted to raise at least R50 000 for a pension fund so that George could support his family through retirement. She set up a Backabuddy crowdfunding program and was thrilled to find many beachgoers jump on the bandwagon. Donating and sharing their own heartwarming stories of interactions with George. The campaign very quickly reached over R23 000, with the support of over 50 donors.
Here are some of the amazing comments shared:
- “My kids are 18 & 20 now, in their toddler years they’d run after George with great excitement & he’d always patiently wait while they made their ice cream choices. More than happy to contribute.” – Lorna
- “My little Elli who’s 11 now got many free ice-creams as a baby when our nanny used to sit & chat to him at the beach – I’ll definitely support him thanks” – Lou
- “Grandson was rewarded with a free ice cream for helping George lift his bike up the ramp at Kleinbaai thanks, good idea.” – Estelle
Thank You Blouberg
It is so heartwarming to hear stories of communities pulling together to make the world a better place. The campaign has not only helped George and his family but has also given hope to so many others. Sometimes we just need to read about a beautiful story such as this to help us get through the hardships in life.
Michelle personally thanks the community, “Thank you to the Blouberg community, for all you have done to echo the impact George has had to you. While he didn’t ask for us to do this for him, I know, by seeing his face as he reads through your donation comments that he is grateful beyond words. The commitment and love you have shown, proves that together we can make a genuine change in people’s lives.”
Anyone wanting to contribute to Georges pension fund can do so by following this link to the Backabuddy website: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/george-phontshe-peni