“It is a privilege to lead a life that enables you to help others.”

Henk-Steven Renzenbrink
Founder

The first time I walked into a township, something in me stopped.

Just a few kilometres from the city centre, I suddenly found myself in a completely different world. On one side of the city, people live in comfort. On the other side, thousands of people live in small shacks made from scrap wood and corrugated metal. The contrast is hard to describe. I remember thinking: How can this exist in the same place?But what stayed with me even more than the poverty was something else: life.

• Children playing in the streets
• People warmly greeting each other
• Tour guides proudly telling the story of their community

Despite everything, there was dignity. I  immediately felt a desire to become part of the change.

A life that moved between business and purpose

For most of my life, I have been an entrepreneur and a life coach. 

After stepping away from the Dutch IT company PQR, which I co-founded, I started a small foundation called Stichting Geef het Door. The idea was simple: to help people who had fallen through the cracks of society.
Over several years, we supported many people in a wide range of situations. 

Helping does not always happen through organisations, though. You can also care for others in many personal ways. If everyone who has the means simply took responsibility for one person in need, the world would already be a much better place. 

The moment Langa returned to my life 

My life took many turns, but one longing always stayed with me: to help the poor in Africa. Occasionally, I tried to contribute, but since I am not a doctor, engineer, or builder, I never quite found the right fit—until I returned to a township. To Langa township, as a tourist. 

This time, I looked with different eyes.

Thousands of tourists from around the world visit townships every year. They are guided by local guides who proudly share the history and reality of their community. Many visitors feel deeply touched by what they see—and then they fly home, often without a clear way to contribute or leave a donation. 

And that is exactly where the idea for the Friends for Townships foundation was born.

A simple idea with powerful potential

What if those visitors did not simply disappear? What if they stayed connected?

During tours led by local guides, we invite visitors to join our community and become a Friends for Townships. Through our website, newsletter, and social media, they stay connected to the township they visited—with the opportunity to support carefully selected projects.

These projects support the local community by creating opportunity and restoring dignity. Some projects are small, others are more ambitious—but all are designed to have real impact, often with a focus on children, as they represent the future.

I have been moved by how even small donations can make a big difference for people who have so little. Just a few hundred euros or dollars can mean the difference between despair and hope—or bring a measure of comfort.

Working with the people who live there

We work closely with local guides and residents. They are the eyes and ears of the community. Together, we decide what is needed most—what is urgent, what will have the greatest impact, and what will truly help.

Their voices matter.

Friends for Townships creates a bridge between you—people who want to help—and those who need it most.