Spirit Community Foundation Stories

Mrs Eksteen is a 92-year-old woman born on Jordaan Street in District Six. She lived there with her parents and three brothers. At the age of 10, her parents fostered a sister and was elated to have another sibling. Shortly after, she experienced severe third degree burns to her legs in an accident which resulted in her having to leave school. Later in her life she moved to Wynberg and was thereafter forcibly removed to Heideveld under the Group Areas Act with her husband and children. Mrs Eksteen had one biological child, she also adopted another child and fostered her cousin’s children. At the age of 18 she started working at a home for the elderly, by caring for the residents. She worked at the facility till she was 70 years old. Now, Mrs Eksteen enjoys reading, gardening and bonding with her family at their Sunday get-togethers. Living with hearing loss, Mrs Eksteen misses hearing the call to prayer the most. The funding from the Spirit Foundation will contribute to Mrs Eksteen’s treatment of hearing loss and fulfil what she misses the most about being able to hear.