There’s a big difference between simply surviving retirement and truly enjoying it. And it all boils down to habits says Summerveld’s Heather Partner.
At 66, single, retired and living life to the full, Heather believes a happy retirement doesn’t just happen. Rather,
it is crafted with conscious daily actions that lead to a fulfilling life.
“Some just go through the motions, while others embrace everyday routines that enhance the joy and satisfaction of their golden years. For me, that means riding horses, landscaping, reading and travelling to India once a year,” Heather says, adding that she also takes care of her six dogs, a canary, her horse Danny and, on evenings and weekends, oversees the 26 horses stabled where she lives on her sister’s magnificent farm called Rosehill Stables. And although she’s got a lot going on, she goes above and beyond to do volunteer work and run her NPO, Making a Difference.
“I’m strong willed, independent, and deeply passionate about making a difference. I believe in doing things right, and give 100 per cent to every project I commit myself to. For years I worked and thrived in marketing (in spite of a BCom Law degree), making other people rich, so at 58, when I’d had enough and my daughter Jessica was well-settled in her own life, I retired to fulfil my lifelong dream.”
Heather, who is Hindu by faith and believes that death is a release, trained as a palliative carer at Highway Hospice, where she worked in the wards three times a week until Covid forced the hospital to close its doors.
“What a travesty! But, there’s a reason for everything, and I felt my purpose was to throw myself full time into Making a Difference (MAD) which was founded six years ago, but never quite got the attention it needed because I was juggling so much.”
What began as a monthly meeting for Summerveld staff, police, security companies, health care workers, St John (for eye testing), specialists in substance abuse, and Capitec to assist with opening accounts to protect staff earnings, has grown exponentially, and truly changed the lives of many. MAD has become Heather’s absolute passion.
“We’ve grown from hosting dressage shows for grooms and sponsoring staff self-defence courses to focussing on the sustainable upliftment of residents from villages around Summerveld like Bux Farm, Cliffdale, Mholokhole and Shongweni Dam.”
Working closely with community leaders who guide and assist to ensure acceptance by these communities, MAD has been a catalyst for feeding schemes, early childhood development through crèche upliftment, dog inoculation, distributing sanitary pads, mother and baby support, sewing and beading groups, vegetable tunnel installations, self-help projects and more, all of which is facilitated by amazing donors.
“Through riots and floods we’ve pushed ourselves to be present, to offer comfort through compassion and nourishment, to pave the way for a brighter future through education, to bring hope to those in despair,” says Heather adding that following the floods, they helped rebuild two crèches, a community centre and more than 20 homes.
“Building materials were delivered and transported by hand over rivers and washed away bridges, with a human chain. The community assisted by providing shelter to families, and this was backed by the donation of food, blankets, household goods and clothes for people who had literally lost everything. It’s initiatives like these, and the love I get from the little ones who come running to greet me, that keep me going. I live for these encounters because they bring so much joy, and humility, and the people are so grateful.
Working with the aged, crèches, schools, mums and babies, orphanages and cerebral palsy homes, Heather says MAD tends to operate mainly with physical items that are donated – clothes, linen, towels, blankets, household and kitchen goods, dogs bowls, toys, books, musical instruments, sewing machines and furniture, human and dog food, baby and adult nappies. While funds are always necessary for ad hoc expenses, volunteers are crucial.
“MAD has grown too big for me to run effectively. Anyone with a passion for community work or with a skill is so welcome. My friend is starting up a new sewing project in Embo. MAD has provided the machines, cotton and fabric, and she is teaching unemployed women to sew. We need gardeners to start up vegetable tunnels, and educate people on how to sow, care and harvest. Extra hands are always needed.”
Of all the incredible things that have come out of MAD, Heather beams the most when she talks about her choir – a 100-strong chorus, made up of kids of all ages with a natural talent for song, rhythm and dance.
“Two years ago Brian Lapin, a special family friend who happens to be a founding member of the Black Eyed Peas and a partner in the American music production company, Transcenders, sent me 18 recorders and three music books. His message was to uplift through music.”
Heather chose Zikwanele House of Hope in the Shongweni Dam area to start a band and choir. It’s a registered NPO run by an amazing woman and key partner of MAD, Thembalishe Mngcwango. Armed with their new music equipment and guides, Heather and Thembalishe coaxed as many children as they could into one room, with promises of sandwiches and juice after, to try their hand in the choir.
“We found an amazing recorder teacher, Nonnie Ndira, who has helped us teach the children to read music, play the recorders, sing and dance and they have embraced it all from the get go.”
Based on this success, Futures in Tune (FIT) was formed, backed by the Transcenders, with sister choirs in Los Angeles and now Mumbai in India. They all follow a common syllabus and share songs, communicating via video links. FIT sponsors the teacher’s fees.
“MAD had to fundraise to buy an inverter and TV in order to communicate, but the progress has been phenomenal. Our choir has grown from 30 members to 100, and the talent is astonishing. The children can now sing Hindu songs and the Mumbai choir has learnt to sing in Zulu. The University of KZN, through its UKUSA Performing Arts Programme, has provided a fabulous singing teacher and we are getting better and better,” says Heather who boasts proudly that because of its sizeable growth, the choir now gathers at Egcekeni Primary, a local school also supported, through learner upliftment and family food distribution, by MAD.
“And then there was the choir’s first public appearance at Olivanders Estate, where they performed for international equestrian instructors. For many, it was a first trip outside of their village. The excitement of travelling in combis, with their little food packs, was palpable. Parents contributed to making skirts and the choir lifted the roof. It was such a proud moment and the children couldn’t believe the applause. I just cried. I’m sure we can all agree that qualifies as upliftment through music!”
When she’s not roaming local villages as a glorified delivery girl, dressed in her best with a hat, or meeting with ward officials and her network of dedicated people, Heather is a doting grandmother to her four-year-old grandson, Frederick, and enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, sitting on the stoep with her dogs, enjoying the peace of Rosehill Stables, and riding her steed.
“Having osteoporosis, I am a bit circumspect and pieperig. I cannot afford to break any more bones, so I only ride my horse. Since gardening is a real passion of mine, I’ve started landscaping to raise funds for MAD. I also collect silver, and adore polishing my treasures. And let’s not forget my annual adventures in India with a few of my dearest friends. Don’t get me wrong, I love how I am surrounded by such rural suburbia at home. It’s the charm despite everything in our country, and something many of us take for granted but, India is in my blood. It’s my soul home. Mum was born and bred there, so I return for the connection, for its progression that still retains old charm and beauty. It’s the most amazing place and a much needed escape from the world.”
Details: Contact Heather on 082 654 1240 or email
