What is Freewalker?
Freewalker is a state of being…it is humanitarian, adventure, and freeing, it is realizing that one person can make a difference…and that person can be you! Freewalker is a Volunteer & Adventures for Charity organization that is doing its part in making a difference in South Africa, while having fun at the same time! The Mission of Freewalker is to create sustainable solutions in the fields of education, conservation, healthcare, and community development through international volunteering, while providing opportunity for volunteers to experience the adventure of exploring South Africa’s diverse landscapes, colourful cultures, ancient history and abundant wildlife.
What is Freewalker offering YOU?
Freewalker Volunteer Programs offer you a truly raw experience full of culture, wildlife, people, adventure and laughs that will change you for the rest of your life, guaranteed! This working holiday experience gives volunteers the opportunity to teach and participate in the development of impoverished schools, coach children in sports, work hands on with cheetahs, learn about the African wildlife in-depth and how to collect research data, aid in the preservation of the environment and marine wildlife, and tour amazing South African at the same time! Now that is a mouthful, you just have to come and experience it for yourself!
Freewalker Adventure Tours offers a uniquely diverse, one-day to multiple day adventure trip—designed to generate a deeper appreciation for the natural beauty, abundant scenery, historically rich-cultural backgrounds, spectacular wildlife and all along indulging in the best adventure activities South Africa has to offer. Every tour is specially planned to accommodate the chosen adventure and for activities that always seem to spontaneously arise on the tour. Freewalker’s have the opportunity to participate in tours to: The Garden Route, Karoo Inland, Baviaans Kloof, Plettenberg Bay, Jefferies Bay, Cape Town, Transkei, multiple Game Reserves, and the world renowned Addo Elephant National Park.
Where is Freewalker Located?
Freewalker is based in “The Adventure Province” Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth, South Africa and is dedicated to the impoverished schools and threatened wildlife in the surrounding area. PE is on the Indian Ocean and a hotspot to journey out from; you can do anything you can imagine within a three hour radius! (And we know all the best secret spots)
Where the name Freewalker comes from…
In the year 1925, my Great Grandfather Alfred Luscombe bought the farm Westbrook in the Graaff-Reinet area. His wife Andree Luscombe, who was the grandchild of Andrew Murray, the Scottish missionary, immediately recognized the dire need for education amongst the many farm labourer’s children and neighbouring farms families. The farms were too far from the closest town and my Great Grandmother got her husband to clear out an old shearing shed to convert into a classroom where she could teach the children herself. There were about 48 children attending the farm school each year. Most of the children would have to walk up to 7 kilometres to school each day due to lack of transport, but this was a pleasure walking through the mountain roads, rivers, poplar forests and abundant wildlife in order to get an education. Just the dedication to walk through all the four season’s weather to receive an education is amazing. To us (Freewalker) there is no better way to get to school.
My Great Grandmother soon met up with a young coloured teacher in Graaff-Reinet by the name of Gordon Meyer, who she convinced to come out to the farm during the weeks and teach the children. Gordon was reluctant to take up the position as a single man, and the distance to the farm seemed to be an issue. Gordon soon married Rebecca, who is still alive today, and the two of them came to teach at Westbrook. Andree created a very comfortable house for the two teachers next to the school where they enjoyed life on the farm during the week and returned to their home in town over weekends.
And so, for the next 42 years Gordon and Rebeca spent their energy teaching the children who would otherwise have had no access to education but from stories around fires in the evenings. Their dedication to the school was life changing to many children and even produced a Head Boy, in Samuel Lomberg at Spandau High School in town and many other key figures and excellent students. The School in town would benefit from the “Westbrook Kids” because of the well balanced and well disciplined way they had been taught in their early years. The present mayor of Graaff-Reinet was a pupil at Westbrook and owes most of his upbringings to Gordon and Rebeca. Many of the children today are placed at great jobs and are sending their children to good schools in towns.
Being a descendant and living on the farm where my Great Grandparents built the school, I have decided to carry on with their educational views through Freewalker (with help through partnership with Jordana Meyer). Freewalker has been working at developing and maintaining education programs at a little African School in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth. The name “Freewalker” quite simply depicts the children walking to school on our farm everyday: free, happy and getting educated. This is also the slogan for Freewalker, Be Free…
So that’s how it came to be, who knows, maybe our children will carry on with this passion to educate children one day and also gain great pride in seeing a school grow from nothing to something through dedication, teamwork and vision.
Join us in South Africa and Be Free…