What’s your earliest childhood memory with your father?
While I was growing up, my dad lived in Cape Town,so every time he came back to Gqeberha we got really excited. When I got my bursary to study at Grey College, he would come and drop off pocket money he had earned doing odd jobs. Those moments stand out for me.
What sort of relationship have the two of you had and how has it evolved over the years?
Our relationship gets better every day and it’s something we’re continuously working on. We missed out on a lot when I was young, but we are trying to build when we can. We don’t see each other that often because he is in Port Elizabeth and I’m in Durban. We try to speak as often as possible because I want him to nurture his relationship with his grandkids.
What did you learn from that relationship?
I’ve learnt that I have to be present as much as I can for my kids. I need to make sure that I make them a priority and that I am there to support them in whatever it is that they do - whether or not I agree with it.
Tell us about the Kolisi Kollective.
It’s a community of people that donates to the Kolisi Foundation every month, and helps the foundation grow. We are trying to create a community where people meet and connect. Great things always happen when people from different walks of life collaborate. It’s in Rachel and my hearts to connect and collaborate with people. I believe community is going to change and help our country.
What kind of impact has the Foundation made since it started and what more do you hope to achieve?
We’ve got an amazing team and we’ve been able to execute relief projects quite well. Our key focus areas are food security, gender-based violence (GBV), and sports and education. We work with a number of organisations in the GBV space to change mindsets, attitudes and behaviour, as well as to support victims and survivors. It’s been a pandemic for so many years, it goes unchecked and not much funding goes towards it. We work on prevention – sorting out the problem before it becomes a problem. We work with survivors and connect them with jobs so they can be independent and not be afraid to start afresh. It’s been great. We’re working and collaborating with other foundations – there’s still so much more to be done.