My early morning wake-up call sounded no different to those I’ve heard dozens of times before at Sabi Sabi. Somehow waking up in the bush is a world apart from the city and one is in a time and space such as no other - beautiful scenery, the hustle and bustle of new guests arriving, but this day we were to witness generosity and gratitude at its best and this day was to be an experience with a difference.

For many years Sabi Sabi has had close ties with MNet through various initiatives. We also have a long history of involvement with our neighbouring communities and have invested much in them and continue to do so; particularly in the much-needed area of education. On Tuesday, 3 September, MNet Cares made a substantial contribution to the Mazinyane pre-primary school in the form of a container full of educational books and computers. Mazinyane is jointly funded by Sabi Sabi and Reservations Africa and fills a vital need for a foundation-phase school in the area.

Our Marketing Director – Jacques Smit – and myself arrived, and immediately there was an excited buzz around the little school as the children’s delight was palpable and the smiling faces told a story more than words ever could – they clamoured to see what was inside the branded container. Dozens of eager faces looked up at us, sang a welcome song and waited in anticipation. They were not disappointed. The toddlers and pre-schoolers were treated to a story-telling session and could not wait to start paging through their books.

We purposefully planned the day around the children, but parents and local dignitaries were invited for lunch, which was a great success. Looking around at the wonderful spirit of togetherness, we were humbled to be part of such a special occasion; and we are deeply grateful to MNet Cares for their generous sponsorship. We all hope that these children develop a lifelong love of reading that is so important for quality education. At the end of the day, each child received a gift bag – but the greatest gift of all was the investment in our children – all thanks to MNet Cares.