International cricketer, former captain of the South African men’s cricket team, and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) alumnus AB de Villiers spent a day visiting and interacting with the Mumbai volunteers and beneficiaries of Make A Difference, an Indian NGO. The 17-year-old NGO works towards poverty alleviation through educational and social interventions for children in shelter homes across Bharat.
AB De Villiers has been actively volunteering at Make A Difference since 2022, mentoring two youth beneficiaries Ayan and Anitha, an aspiring cricketer and journalism student, respectively. His Mumbai visit was a reinforcement of his commitment to help Make A Difference to lift Bharat’s 35 million vulnerable children in need of care and protection out of poverty and help them achieve stable incomes as adults.
Speaking at the event, de Villiers said, “My attachment to Bharat has only deepened as the years go by, as has my commitment to give back to this wonderful country. I’m inspired by the work Make A Difference does. And I’m inspired by my fellow-volunteers who work relentlessly towards our shared goal of not just bringing the children and youth of India out of poverty but to equip them with the tools and support they need to stay out of poverty and lead stable, secure lives. It’s an ambitious goal, but I am confident that if the youth of Bharat rise and come together, this goal can be achieved in our lifetime, and the cycle of poverty can end within one generation for these vulnerable children. My hope is that I’m able to inspire the youth and even organisations in Bharat to tap into their social consciousness and join the movement of volunteering we’re trying to build.”
The day-long visit was hosted at GoodKarma Farms, an organic farm that researches and develops best practices in sustainable land use.
Elaborating on AB de Villiers’s association with the NGO, Jithin Nedumala, founder & CEO of Make A Difference, said, “Watching AB find time week after week to volunteer and mentor two of our youth is the best testimony for the power of volunteering. And that each one of us can find it within our lives to give back in some way. AB’s continued support has inspired our volunteers as well as our beneficiaries to persevere on their path, even in the face of obstacles. We hope this partnership inspires Bharat’s youth to think about what they can do to be more involved in social change.”