Dave Robbs is a big believer in the old adage of teaching a man to fish so he eats for a lifetime.
“We take it a step further,” he said. “If I can train a man to own a fish business, he can feed a village for a lifetime.”
That’s exactly what he is trying to accomplish in South Africa with the Puyallup nonprofit group the Poyeho Project. Poyeho roughly translates to the way maker in a local South African dialect. The project trains and links people and businesses together to create sustainable and profitable businesses half-way around the world.
“It’s helping them build a dream administratively,” Robbs said.
In support of the Poyeho Project, volunteers and community activist began a 100 mile “Walk for South Africa” by walking 20 miles from Yelm to Eatonville on May 31.
“I’m still tired from Saturday,” said Chris Loftis, of Community Link Educational Services which has partnered with the Poyeho Project to extend education into secondary schools.
The walk continues June 7 from Eatonville to Puyallup covering another 20 miles and there are smaller walks from June 12 to June 15 from different locations. Participants have pledged money to the project for each mile they walk. The goal is to raise $20,000.
It’s both a fundraiser for the project and an awareness raiser, Robbs said.
The June 7 stretch will conclude with a barbecue and a presentation about the project at 6 p.m. at City Gate Church in Puyallup.
Robbs started the Poyeho Project last year to help South Africans create business plans, find investors and have the where-with-all for success. They are also working with other organizations like Ubuntu Educational Fund and Community Link Educational Services to provide business education to secondary school children.
Loftis goes to South Africa twice a year to teach secondary students with a business week model that was developed at Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, while Robbs goes to South Africa several times a year to train and develop businesses with South African adults.
In 2005, Robbs was helping to build a fence in the country and was amazed no one knew what a post hole digger was and all the shovels were had short handles and were not the best for the work.
He thought, someone could make a lot of many selling post hole diggers because it could make building a fence much easier.
“It went from that to, wow there’s an opportunity to really train people and help them be successful,” Robbs said.
He found that the people of South Africa have a great desire to succeed, but lack the tools and knowledge to create a sustainable business.
“They’re hungry to succeed,” Robbs said. “But there was no one there to really walk them through that success.”
The tools to succeed are needed because black South African high school students are the first generation to live from under the oppression of apartheid, which oppressed the black majority both politically, economically and educationally, Robbs said. The country is also riddled with the AIDS epidemic. In some cases black townships have 60 percent of the population infected by the virus. Loftis teaches students that are AIDS orphans or have been greatly impacted by the disease.
Although the partide is gone, there is still a wide gap between rich and poor and a lot of it has to do with education and opportunity.
“I’ve never seen so many Mercedes Benz’s and people living in wooden shacks in the same frame,” Loftis said.
What the Poyeho Project and its partners are trying to do is develop a middle class, through education, opportunity and instilling hope.
“To me, it’s the greatest export America has and it’s hope,” Loftis said. “To me we have to be a part of that system, creating that hope and creating those skills.”
Too many young people don’t grab on to their dreams, because they don’t think they can reach them and no one has told them different, Loftis said.
“In the nation of South Africa there is a lot of opportunity,” Robbs said.
Right now he is working with two South African businesses to implement business plans.
“They have the potential within a years time to employ as many as 50 people,” Robbs said.
Creating success in South Africa is paired with success in America. Robbs works to find investors from the area who put funding into the South African businesses. Not just because its a nice thing to do, but because it can also be profitable.
“It’s a huge return on their investment,” Robbs said. “The drive is there. All those things are there that say these people are going to follow through with what they say.”
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Walk for South Africa
The “Walk for South Africa” will take place through the middle June from and to various locations. The walk is a fundraiser and educational event for the Poyeho Project.
> June 7: Participants will walk from Eatonville to Puyallup, with a BBQ and presentation at 6 p.m. at City Gate Church, 114 4th Ave. NW in Puyallup. Dinner is $5 per plate.
> June 12: Participants will walk from Tacoma to Puyallup.
> June 13: Participants will walk from Tacoma to Federal Way.
> June 14: Participants will walk from Orting to Puyallup.
> June 15: Participants will walk from Edgewood to South Hill.
> To donate or find out more information, call Dave Robbs at 253-224-6367, e-mail him at pdaver@msn.com or go to www.poyeho.org.
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