Princess helps Louis to feed the hungry

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MOSSEL BAY NEWS AND VIDEO - Mossel Bay's professional golfer Louis Oosthuizen has joined hands with Princess Charlene of Monaco, increasing the help for children in Mossel Bay communities and further afield.

His Louis57 Foundation and the Princess Charlene of Monaco South Africa Foundation are collaborating on a feeding project.

Oosthuizen played in the 150th Open at St Andrews last week, where he met Prince Albert of Monaco. They shook hands on the collaboration agreement at an official launch of the #feed2gether initiative on Thursday, 14 July.

PHOTO GALLERY: Professional golfer unites with Princess Charlene of Monaco, to feed children

After his performance in the Open, Oosthuizen is ranked the 25th best golfer in the world.

'Help young people'

Prince Albert said in an interview with SuperSport: "We like to help young people and promote the values of sport. This initiative is absolutely fantastic. We hope the relationship will go on for a long time."

The Louis57 Foundation was founded in 2009 in Mossel Bay to assist children with special golf talent and also those with special needs.

Louis Oosthuizen visiting a preschool in Mossel Bay that benefits from his iPapa57 scheme. Photo: Louis57 Foundation

Petrie Cronjé, CEO and co-founder member with Bertu Nel and Louis Oosthuizen, of Foundation57, told the Mossel Bay Advertiser this week: "Foundation57 has four beneficiaries: Academy57 - the golf and golf development programme; Kids With Cancer; Leolan Academy in Mossel Bay for children with autism and Down syndrome; and iPapa57 - a feeding scheme."

The directors of the Louis57 Foundation are Cronjé, Nel, Tertius Schoeman and Berenice Kogana Paulson.

'Expanding programme'

Cronjé explained: "The aim is a longterm collaboration of the two foundations to expand the iPapa57 programme to neighbouring towns and provinces and then nationally."

We execute the iPapa57 scheme in co-operation with a local NGO, Societas Mossel Bay. The iPapa57 feeding scheme assists 22 SmartStart early childhood development centres in Mossel Bay communities, providing specially formulated maize products. So far iPapa57 feeds about 600 children from ages three to five on a daily basis."

Louis Oosthuizen visiting a preschool in Mossel Bay that benefits from his iPapa57 scheme. Photo: Louis57 Foundation

The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation SA assists in rhino conservation in South Africa and has an anti-drowning programme. In a press release, the princess noted that during a visit to South Africa, she realised one couldn't save children from drowning and not also save them from starving.

Cronjé said the two foundations joined hands in the #feed2gether initiative, because previously, strong co-operation was established during a Covid-19 awareness programme in 2020, #strong2gether, initiated by Prince Albert and Princess Charlene.

Art collection

The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has also launched an NFT (non-fungible token) art collection. With the commissioned 15-piece #OurVisionTogether artwork by South African artist Junaid Sénéchal-Senekal, each unique piece is also registered as an NFT which is for sale to raise funds to feed children through the #feed2gether initiative.

VIDEO - Mossel Bay's Louis Oosthuizen and Prince Albert officially launch charity project (Video: SuperSport).

Prince Albert (wearing cap) and Louis Oosthuizen (golf shirt) with representatives of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and Louis and Princess Charlene's foundations. Photo: SuperSport