Choice turns 25!

This year we celebrate 25 years of Impact through Care. It’s been 25 years of passion, hope, compassion, caring, love, health, empowerment, community development and connection. And what a journey it has been.

Nikki Thompson, our Director, says that “We took our 25 year celebration as an opportunity to recognise the 25 years of impact through care. The change we have achieved in the community has been made possible by the commitment and dedication of our staff! Our aim is to be here, another 25 years from now, celebrating 50 years of impact together. Our staff are our strongest resource and we will continue to invest in them”.

Fiona Macdonald, our founder and current board member explained how Choice began with an inspirational story:

“I want to go back a little bit. The dream of Choice actually goes back to 1987 and I just wanted to share those first few memories when I came to Tzaneen and I worked with the great Margaret Mabuza. We drove mobile clinics around and she taught me so much. In those days the homelands were still around and we used to cheat and drive the mobile clinic as close to the homelands as we possibly could to care for the communities. After the elections we were about to be retrenched and I was thinking, “What am I going to do now – should I work in a hospital, what should I do?”

I was sitting and scribbling on a piece of paper, writting “health”, “care”, and just wondering where my future was going to be. And I wrote in big letters “NO CHOICE”. I’ve got no choice, I have to follow my dream! And then the sun came through the window and it was quite spiritual and there I had written CHOICE. And that is how CHoiCe Trust was born.

The two things that I am really proud of is that Choice Trust is still going. As an NGO after all these years raising money it’s often tough. It’s thanks to everyone here that Choice has such a good reputation and I’m so proud to be involved with you. And the second thing that I’m proud of is to be surrounded by people that CARE! To be surrounded by old friends and old colleagues it’s like a reunion. I can feel that CARE in this room! Good luck to another 25 years.”

After the speeches the Choice team was then addressed by different wellness leaders. We recognise that the impact that CHoiCe has achieved is a direct result of the dedication and commitment of its staff members. The 25 Year Celebration event was therefore intended to focus on staff members and their needs, particularly regards to wellbeing.

We would like to thank everyone in the community for supporting us to the extent that they have. An even bigger thank you to our donors who have journeyed with us and supported our communities through their funding. We hope to grow from strength to strength and look forward to the next 25 years of empowering communities.