"Well Done": American Mom Who Moved to SA Helps Rural School With 54 Learners

• Liv, an American woman who relocated to South Africa with her family, noticed children walking long distances to a small rural school near her home
• After visiting the school, she discovered 54 students had limited supplies, no playground, and teachers needed basic classroom resources
• Liv launched a school supply drive and GoFundMe campaign, hoping to put together a stationery pouch for every child at the school

An American woman who uprooted her family and moved to South Africa has found an unexpected purpose. She noticed an issue involving a school in her new community, and her story is warming hearts across the internet.

Liv, who posts under the handle @livyyloo_16, shared on 14 October that she had been just two weeks into her move from America when something caught her attention. She kept seeing children walking along rural roads, eventually learning they were making their way to and from school each day.

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A teacher explained that the school served 54 students across six classes. There was no playground, very little decorating on the walls, and a shortage of learning materials. When Liv asked what was needed most, the answer was straightforward: calculators for the older children, educational workbooks for the younger ones, and some colourful posters to brighten up the classroom. She made a promise on the spot. She would return the following week with sandwiches for everyone and a school supply pouch for each student.

American shops for rural learners

Liv headed to the shops and bought 20 of everything to get started. Each pouch costs around R112, while calculators come in at R167 each and workbooks range from R79 to R349. With 34 more pouches still to fill, she turned to her online community for support, through likes, shares, and a GoFundMe linked in her bio. She said:

"Every child deserves an education, the tools to succeed, and the feeling that someone cares about their future."

Watch her story unfold in the reel below.

South Africans and supporters respond

The comments section filled up quickly with people cheering Liv on:

@shahesta_k wrote:

"God bless you for this 😊🙏🏻"

@gregg_gilson said:

"Love this, Liv. Well done! 🫶"

@brandon_mare_ cheered:

"Well done Liv! What a champion! Welcome to SA 🇿🇦🥇😃"

@melissathebeemoniz added:

"Thank you for coming to South Africa with intent of making a difference ❤️🙌 Being in the educational sector myself, I know how this can go a long way!"

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@cbrieze said:

"Thank you for this, may you be blessed. Enjoy our beautiful home, welcome to South Africa. ❤️"

Other Briefly News stories about charitable acts

• A viral TikTok video captured a heartwarming holiday moment after an African American visitor organised a massive food drive for families in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg.
• Lisakhanya Mabelu, a 24-year-old event caterer from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, set aside her career plans after discovering local children were going hungry during school holidays when school feeding schemes were closed.
• TikTok content creator @olive_foodie touched South Africans after sharing an inspiring budget breakdown showing how she prepared 78 hotdog meals for people in need using just R720.

Source: Briefly News