Umhlanga-based Kylie Blakeman recently launched the Gabba Loo Collective – an organisation that collects shoes for underprivileged youth – in memory of her sister who passed away last year.
Umhlanga-based Kylie Blakeman recently launched the Gabba Loo Collective – an organisation that collects shoes for underprivileged youth – in memory of her sister who passed away last year.
In September last year, 23-year-old Gaby du Toit, a university student from Umhlanga, tragically died from a heart attack. The loss left her mom Wanda, dad Chris, brother Ryan and sister Kylie devastated. But, in an effort to honour their beloved Gabba, as Gaby was affectionately known, they committed to keeping her memory alive by fostering positive change. They launched the Gabba Loo Collective, which collects shoes for people in need. “Gaby was obsessed with sneakers and had a huge heart for the marginalised,” Kylie explains. The project is all about honouring Gaby’s love for trendy shoes and her passion for giving back, all while making sure her legacy lives on.
In May this year, the Gabba Loo Collective organised a number of fun runs and walks both locally and abroad, including locations in Joburg, Durban, Cape Town, Sydney and London. Participants were encouraged to donate a pair of shoes at the events and the response, says Kylie, was amazing. “It’s been such a heart-warming experience to see how many lives Gaby touched. We’ve been blown away by our friends and family who have got involved, not only in South Africa but overseas as well.” So far, the organisation has collected more than 1500 pairs of shoes and their beneficiaries include Linc Foundation, Holah House, Summer Hill and Angel Care. The team hopes to organise an annual walk in May to commemorate Gaby’s birthday month, but in the meantime, supporters can continue to donate shoes by dropping them off at Linc Church in Salt Rock or contacting Kylie directly by email.
Honouring her sister through this project hasn’t been easy for Kylie, but it’s deeply rewarding. “It’s been emotional and tough because obviously this isn’t something I ever dreamt of doing,” she says. “But we are so excited to give back and spoil so many beautiful humans with super cool shoes.” Kylie describes her sister as an incredibly driven, loving soul who had a heart of gold. “We had a bond like no other. We were best friends,” she says. Starting the Gabba Loo Collective has taught Kylie just how generous and kind people can be. She hopes that over time, they will be able to donate thousands more shoes to underprivileged adults and children. “We have already exceeded our little dream and we are still in the process of counting shoes! It’s wild!” she says.
Details: [email protected]; IG: @gl.collective
