I was in JHB this week and was honoured to attend a fundraising function for the Mike Thomson Change a Life Trust, which was hosted by Mike Thomson’s mother, Di Thomson at The Barnyard Theatre in Broadacres. Ian & Viv von Momerty entertained us for the evening and had the entire theatre captivated from beginning to end.

The inspired Mike Thomson Change a Life Trust was set up after the brutal and senseless murder of Computershare’s Senior Manager, Mike Thomson, at his home in September 2007. Determined to make a meaningful stand against crime in the wake of this tragedy , Computershare and Mike’s family set up the Trust to help fight the causes and symptoms of crime, to support victims and to secure a safer future for all South African’s. The Trust chose the DNA Project as one of its primary beneficiaries and The DNA Project has received the most incredible support from this Trust for the work we do.

Vanessa Lynch & Di Thomson

I am always so humbled by the unbelievable effort  people are willing to put into helping our cause. There are so many people who have suffered such adversity yet have chosen to stand up and fight at a time when, I know, all you want to do is lie down and die.

I really do think that South African’s are innate survivors and despite  the challenges we all face on a daily basis, we are still able to come together, share in our tragedies, align ourselves with new hope and create a force that is unstoppable, when we put our minds to it. Yes, there will always be the odd detractor, miserable and critical as they are, who add no value to our collective energy, but those are the ‘grey people’ in the world, and their insignificance fades further still in the blinding light of what I believe the rest of us are capable and willing to do to keep this country, not just afloat, but alive and kicking. It is those people with whom I look forward to sharing my future in SA, who inspire me to fight harder still and who are making the REAL difference in our country. There is no place for grey in our rainbow nation.

with thanks,

Vanessa.

Ian von Momerty raising the roof in support of the Mike Thomson Change a Life Trust on Wed evening.