German couple’s donation will bring gift of sight back to many

Date: 27 January 2024 By: Andries van Zyl

What started as a friendship 20 years ago between the German couple Wolfgang and Martina Krügel and Dutch Reformed minister Petrus Kriel from Levubu has now culminated in the donation of 650 sets of quality second-hand spectacles (glasses) and other medical equipment to Bergcare in Louis Trichardt. Bergcare is a community-based organisation established to alleviate the needs of the less fortunate.

The friendship began when the Krügel couple’s youngest son (Arne) came to the region as a Grade 11 student to learn English, staying with Rev Petrus. After this visit from their son, former merchant marine captain Wolfgang and former headmistress Martina decided to get involved in helping the less fortunate, maintaining contact with South Africa. “We have been committed to people in Sri Lanka for more than 30 years and to South Africa for 20 years,” said Wolfgang. The couple regularly travels to South Africa, particularly Levubu and the Kruger National Park, where, the couple say, “we feel at home now”.

The couple, from the town of Rakow in Germany, has been collecting everyday objects and technical devices for years and donating them where needed. In 2021, they started collecting and donating medical equipment. Last year, they began collecting second-hand glasses. The project gained immense support from their surrounding communities, mainly thanks to optometrists Karolin Liney and Franziska Klug from Blick- und Hörwerk GmbH (a German version of Specsavers in South Africa) in the German town of Kröpelin.

Karolin Liney (left) and Franziska Klug (right) from Blick- und Hörwerk GmbH (a German version of Specsavers in South Africa) in the German town of Kröpelin. Photo supplied.

Karolin, Franziska, and their employees have been enthusiastically collecting glasses for a long time. “They are often too valuable to simply throw away,” said Karolin. While looking for a suitable donation option, they became aware of the Krügel couple’s project. “We know that the glasses arrive where they are needed,” said Karolin.

At the Kröpelin company, all glasses are checked, cleaned, and the diopter numbers are measured and indicated on each pair of glasses. They are also disinfected, and by the time Karolin and Franziska have finished with them, they are like new! Wolfgang and Martina must get them to South Africa. Traveling as individuals, they bring the glasses to South Africa in their airplane luggage, declaring them at customs as a donation. Because of weight restrictions, they could not bring as many pairs of glasses into the country as they would have liked. “The project could be so much bigger,” said Wolfgang.

Through their friendship, Rev Petrus acted as a coordinator for the couple’s project and visit to Louis Trichardt this week. Rev Petrus was also instrumental in setting up a meeting with Bergcare, who received the donation in person from the Krügel couple on Tuesday this week. Apart from the 650 pairs of glasses, the couple also donated four blood-pressure monitors and two nebulisers.

Receiving the donation were the chairman of Bergcare, Rev Jan Pretorius, and Bergcare manager Melanie Denner. Also present was local optometrist Sanrie du Plessis from Specsavers. Although the donation of glasses was made to Bergcare, people in need of glasses who cannot afford them will be referred to Sanrie by Bergcare for an eye test and assessment. Sanrie will, therefore, also play a critical role in the project.

Rev Pretorius and Melanie thanked the Krügel couple and Rev Petrus for this truly inspiring initiative and project, mainly financed from their own pockets.

Persons who would like to make use of this opportunity to receive prescription glasses but cannot afford them are invited to phone Melanie at tel. 082 927 8215 or Rev Pretorius at 079 881 9673 to set up an appointment.

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

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