Kezzia is seen here with young Rozamian Walters, a student at the South African school, who points out his own hand print with pride. Photo: Provided

Many BVIslanders are doing humanitarian work abroad as well as in our local community and Hempel and Boyd continues to support these kind of projects. Photo: Provided

After two weeks of hard work Kezzia literally transformed the bland white walls into a blaze of colour. Photo: Provided

The bright orange sunsets and gorgeous colours inspired me to create this scene and to let each child come and place his painted hand print onto the background. This gives them some ownership of the picture and I hope they will remember it always as part of their contribution to the school,” she explained. Photo: Provided

She recently travelled to South Africa to visit an old school friend and discovered an amazing opportunity to volunteer for a worthy cause when her host’s mother Cathryn Hempel introduced her to Talhado Children’s Haven in Sea Vista, an impoverished community in the South Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Operations Manager of Hempel and Boyd, Ms Sarah Penny told Virgin Islands News Online that she thought that it was necessary to share the story to show how far reaching partnerships can go. “Kizza got the opportunity to fulfil her dream and it all stemmed from her familiarisation with Cathryn Hempel who has spent over a decade at Jost Van Dyke where her family now owns a home and is in the Virgin Islands more often than not." Ms Penny said.

Ms Penny had shared the touching story via a press release recently where it was stated that Kezzia has amazing artistic talent.“I knew she would come up with a great idea for giving the school buildings a facelift as was said by Cathryn the school’s Montessori mentor.” said the press release.

The VI law firm of Hempel and Boyd partnered with Kezzia to provide the funding for materials and supplies for the mural project. In addition to their VI head office, the firm has an office in South Africa and the partners were very happy to be involved in the project as a small gesture of goodwill between the VI and South Africa, Ms Penny had stated.

‪‪The press release further stated that after two weeks of hard work, Kezzia literally transformed the bland white walls into a blaze of colour. “One wall depicts the typical local coastal scene with a lighthouse, penguins, waves and fishes, whilst the other is how I see South Africa. The bright orange sunsets and gorgeous colours inspired me to create this scene and to let each child come and place his painted hand print onto the background. This gives them some ownership of the picture and I hope they will remember it always as part of their contribution to the school,” she explained.‪

Ms Penny said Kizza is back to the usual grind here in the Virgin Islands where she works at Necker Island and already she is surrounding her thought with ideas of other ways she can use a touch of nature’s little secret to brighten the lives of others around the world.

By her side is founder of the local group Hands on Volunteers, Ms Lauren Keil, with whom she works. Ms Keil has taken Kizza into her grips to help guide her along. “What Lauren is doing is to encourage her to find ways of using her art for the greater good,” said Penny.

‪Ms Penny said that she has known Kizza all her life and has found her to be an interesting person with a far way to go with her art. “I do similar works and it’s not every day you come across persons like Kizza. She will go a far way and what she did in that small community in South Africa was remarkable and brought another side of the great and diverseness of the people of the BVI.” said Ms Penny.