Bryan Habana will forever be remembered as the lightning-fast winger who scored an astonishing 67 tries for the Springboks during his remarkable rugby career. While his rugby days may be over, 36-year-old Habana is now making headlines for a completely different reason – uplifting vulnerable communities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
A young boy with big dreams
As a young boy, Bryan Habana was greatly inspired by the 1995 Springbok Rugby Team who, through their inspirational journey to becoming Rugby World Cup Champions, united our nation. In 2004, a young Habana made his Currie Cup debut for the Golden Lions and in November of the same year, he was chosen to don the green and gold in a test match against England at Twickenham. Habana was chosen to play for the Springboks in the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was subsequently named the 2007 IRB Player of the Year. During the 2015 World Cup (his last) he equalled Jonah Lomu’s career record of 15 tries in World Cups.
The birth of a remarkable foundation
It was in 2007, as part of the Rugby World Cup-winning team, that Bryan saw how rugby had the ability to inspire, give hope, and unite people from different walks of life. In 2015, Bryan set up the Bryan Habana Foundation to channel the values and experiences he learned playing professional sport to inspire the next generation of young South Africans. The foundation actively helps to transform individuals and societies by giving them a sense of empowerment and inspiration and creating a legacy that lasts through generations.
“From boyhood fan, cheering on my heroes from the stands, to singing Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika with my brothers representing the nation during the proudest period of my life. Sport has moulded me and has made an invaluable impact on my existence. I founded the Bryan Habana Foundation to pay it forward, in an effort to inspire and equip children and young people with the belief that they matter. It is my dream to empower leaders within communities and beyond.”
A helping hand during a difficult time
The Bryan Habana Foundation is extremely excited to have partnered with Ozow, a Cape Town-based instant smart EFT payment service, in a drive to try and raise R1million and assist some of those severely affected by the current extreme food insecurity. Hundreds of food parcels have already been delivered to vulnerable families in and around Cape Town, bringing much-needed relief to those who need it most. On Thursday, 28 May 2020 (World Hunger Day) the Bryan Habana Foundation in partnership with Ozow, donated R40,000 to the country’s biggest food redistribution charity to assist them with their relief efforts aimed at fighting COVID-19. The money was donated to FoodForward SA and will be used to distribute food and raise awareness pertaining to the colossal food insecurity crisis that countless South Africans are currently faced with.
Bryan has also recently teamed up with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation (PCMF) on their drive to make a tangible difference during the pandemic by connecting various celebrities and sports stars and their charities for the #StrongTogether initiative.
Photos courtesy of Bryan Habana
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Bryan is in deed a legend,first i had my doubt’s sending that message i wrote it out and deleted it again because i was frustrated of hearing no i cant helped you but i have that attitude of never giving up nor backing down when i put my heart and mind to something ,when i received that call from fernell from red cross i knew that there was hope the Saturday when i opened my door and i saw that he is actually standing infront of me i knew he was a man of his words and im really for ever grateful no words can explain how im still feeling and because of his faith and his words he left behind im still holding on to doing better ,doing my part picking up where he left ,he said I’m a hero but surely his mine thanks Mr Bryan Habana for keeping to your word and for showing many that wesbank is not forgotten 🙏🏻