GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - After Danielle Jarvis, British gymnastics coach, gave her charges a tube of Smarties asking them to return the tube filled with coins, 65 Smutsville children were able to attend school this year.

While travelling the world during 2010, Jarvis and a friend visited the Sedgefield Wild Oats Farmers' Market where she heard the Smutsville Children's Choir perform. So touched by this experience, Jarvis decided that she wanted to become part of the children's lives.

"I approached Susan [Soloman, local resident involved with the choir] and asked if I could visit them in the township and start working with them," explained Jarvis. She and her friend started visiting the children and got to know them and their personal circumstances while they played games and painted their bright faces.

The following year Jarvis and her fiancé, Ian Wells-Garton, returned to Sedgefield armed with R5 000 worth of sports equipment such as netball posts, soccer balls, a badminton net and cricket sets, to name but a few. These they handed to Soloman who offered to coordinate the games involving the children. "The following year [2012] we raised money for arts and crafts and board games for the children and also brought over some musical instruments," smiled Jarvis.

During 2013 Wells-Garton and Jarvis' fundraising efforts eclipsed all previous efforts. "The children who attend my [gymnastic] classes were all given a tube of Smarties and were asked to fill the tube with coins to raise money for the children in South Africa. We raised over £500. My sister and her colleagues, who work in London for Swiss Re, donated a further £500 and my mum, who is a teacher, raised £300 through her school," explained Jarvis.

Wells-Garton added, "This money will be used to send 65 most vulnerable children in the township to school for a year and pay for their uniforms."

To this Jarvis added, "Ian works part-time for Pro Active South London and they kindly donated lots of merchandise (hats, bags and T-shirts), enough for all the children. We used some of the money raised to buy the school uniforms for the children from PEP Stores, Sedgfield."

While enjoying their annual holiday in Sedgefield during December 2013, Wells-Garton and Jarvis spent time with the children from Smutsville, spoiling them with ice cream and treats, watching them play with the wonderful sports equipment that had travelled thousands of kilometres to bring joy to these children.


Ian Wells-Garton and Danielle Jarvis happily waving behind Smutsville children. Besides donating sporting equipment and clothing, the couple raised enough money to enable 65 children to attend school this year.

'We bring you the latest Garden Route news'