In the days when Fran was still Frances, way back in 2006, she first arrived on Solms-Delta farm. She was studying social work at Stellenbosch, and like all students, needed pocket money. So she became an au pair to Mark and Karen Solms once a week and every weekend. At the end of 2006 when she graduated she told Mark and Karen that she would have to go and find herself a real job.
In Fran’s words, “Mark did not even hesitate, he said “come and work here as a social worker”. I responded, “What exactly would I do?” He replied “A LOT”. So on January 3, 2007, I started as the first social worker on Solms-Delta.”
Fran immediately had the advantage that she knew the community; she had washed dishes and floors with the other domestic workers in the house and had been through good and bad days together with the staff.
“It felt in some way that I had grown up with everyone. I also knew Mark and his real determination to rectify the injustices of the past, even if it was only on Solms-Delta to begin with.”
Fran went back to basics and focused on getting to know all the workers, their circumstances, their needs, their dreams and goals. This was made more difficult because many of the people living on the farm could not even verbalize their dreams and goals. Everyone will agree that today the majority of those working and/or living on Solms-Delta have one common goal and that is to help their children get the best education possible. The contribution of Richard Astor to the well-being of the farm and everyone working on it cannot be overestimated.
“It is unbelievable for me to think that we went from me sitting under the trees outside the museum every afternoon and helping the children with homework to the programs we have in place today, namely the crèche and the Anna Foundation. Solms-Delta in my eyes is a synonym for holistic development. I am proud to have been part of the foundations on which Solms-Delta continues to excel and to have worked for two men who really put their money where their mouths are, and only because their hearts are truly in the same place!”
Fran leaves us this month to further her studies and spend more time with her young family. She will remain a foundation stone of the farm and her presence at events like the Oesfees will always be celebrated. “To misquote the famous epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren: “If you seek her heritage, just look around you.”, dankie en totsiens, Fran.
By John van Zyl
Subscribe to RSS Feed
