A 19-year-old from Kilmarnock will move to South Africa for a year to do voluntary work in the community.
Louis Shekleton has travelled to Eswatini, also known by its former official name Swaziland, since he was 10 years old.
His first trip was with his mum Elizabeth and dad Michael who inspired him to volunteer and since then the family has visited South Africa each year, except during the pandemic.
Now Louis is preparing for his solo trip and is feeling “excited” to see all the people that he knows and make a positive change in the community.
Louis said: “My dad went with a group from the Bridge Church in Kilwinning that we go to. He went for a few weeks, and then, just from hearing how good his trip was, I went the following year with him and my mum. I was 10 years old and ever since I’ve been going every year up to now.
“I was never ungrateful when I was a child, but going to South Africa gives you a different viewpoint on other people’s lives. The first few times I went it was challenging, it can be very upsetting but makes you appreciate things that you have.”
While in Eswatini, Louis will be volunteering at several care points where children come for food. He will be in charge of collecting the food and then distributing it to over 2,000 children in nine different villages.
He said: “The care points have a classroom where pre-school children come from 9am until 11.30am and get taught and fed. In the afternoon children come after school to get fed as well. I will be in charge of distributing the food at nine care points. I will also help with the orphanage and old people’s home all within the same organisation.
“Most of the children that come to the care points are orphans. A lot of the parents have died from AIDS and HIV. It’s the AIDS and HIV capital of the world. These children are the ones who are coming to the care point to get a nutritious meal.
“Last time I was there I was also helping distribute the meals, as well as teaching the kids in the classrooms and helping to finish off an orphanage that was getting built.
“It’s really just been constant working each time we visited, I had the chance to go on a safari before but apart from that we were helping out each day and this time won’t be different.”
In 2017, Louis, his dad Michael and mum Elizabeth decided to ship a 40ft container with essential stuff including tables, chairs, educational materials, doors and windows as well as clothes for children.
The container was donated by Michael’s employer Morsons, an agency for Spirit Aero Systems, who bought the container for £1350 and donated it.
The Shekeltons started preparing a container back in 2017 but it wasn’t until the end of 2018 it got sent over.
Louis said: “This container got transformed into two sewing classrooms so that the ladies could learn how to sew and make money by selling clothes they could make.
“The Bridge Church paid for one of the ladies from Eswatini to go and learn how to sew so she could come back and teach the others. The container has then once again been transformed into two bedrooms at an old age home in one of the villages.”
The family always wanted to give back and help the community, however, Louis’s mum is unable to travel to Eswatini as often now as the family adopted two boys with special needs that need to be cared for so the last few times Louis went back to South Africa just with his dad.
This time Michael will support Louis by travelling with him for a few weeks before Louis stays himself for the year. When Louis went to Eswatini it was always for a few weeks as he had school at the time and it was “never enough” for him.
“When I go for a few weeks, it’s never really enough,” he remarked. I simply assumed that there wasn’t much more time than a year because I’ve always wanted to stay a little longer! I might even stay a little bit longer. All I have to do is wait and see what transpires.”
Louis intends to depart from Kilmarnock on September 24. In order to cover his expenses while in South Africa, he is arranging fundraising activities for this summer.
He recently concluded a £500 raffle, and on Friday, June 21, he is hosting an Italian night at the church. After dinner, everyone is welcome to stay for a quiz night.
Louis also continues to work at the Bonnyton Cafe to save as much as he can. He said: “My boss has been really good with helping over the past few years, he’s always donated money and stuff to me and was very happy to find out I am going to South Africa once again.”
He added: “I am looking forward to going back on my own this September just to see everyone that we know. I definitely made lots of friends while being there.
I am excited the most about seeing the children at the orphanage that we saw years ago and to see how they’ve grown and developed.”
I am excited the most about seeing the children at the orphanage that we saw years ago and to see how they’ve grown and developed.”
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