About African Angels

In December 2003 an Australian traveller, Lou Billett, arrived at Buccaneers Backpackers in Chintsa, a small seaside village on the Eastern Cape of South Africa, and fell in love…with Chintsa, the family who run Buccaneers and their outreach projects, and the local Xhosa people.

At Buccaneers Lou met Akha, the then 1 ½ year old daughter of one of the mamas who worked at Buccaneers. Over the next 2 ½ years Akha and Lou developed a bond – so much so that Lou would sponsor Akha’s education – in partnership with Akha’s parents. Lou would cover the costs of the education fees, and Victoria and Kosnathi would pay and arrange the transport for Akha (no small feat in rural Africa!) and her uniforms, lunches and books.

The start of something big - February 2007

African Angels was started by Lou as an educational sponsorship programme in the hope that other kids like Akha would have the opportunity of a solid, continuous and good quality education, She believes that it is through education that poverty and starvation become a part of Africa’s history, not its future.

Lou established African Angels in Australia as a not for profit incorporated association. Contributions from sponsors are paid directly to the schools where Angels are enrolled – not to individual families, and a contractual arrangement is entered into between the school and African Angels to guarantee a place for the sponsored child.

Innovative initiatives such as the Angel Shop have been established so Angels is self funding and
that a minimum of 95% of all sponsor fees go directly to pay for the school fees of the Angels, and not to administration of African Angels or organisational running costs.

A total of 22 disadvantaged children have been sponsored since African Angels' beginning in 2008. Click on the NEWS page above to find out the latest information.

If you would like to SPONSOR and angel, please click on the SPONSOR tab. Donations towards our Angel Bus can be made by clicking on the DONATE tab.

Thank you!