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By George Arrey, 𝘾𝙀𝙊 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨

Today marks four years since the passing of our cofounder and good friend, Harold Robles. Harold was a man with his heart in the right place, who selflessly dedicated his life to the cause of bringing essential healthcare knowledge to the doorsteps of the ‘most vulnerable’ people of the townships of South Africa. A visionary and passionate philanthropist, Harold saw and believed that health education was the future of healthcare even when everyone else thought otherwise, hence his ability to have conceived and created what is popularly known today as the Health Promoters. For this, he has won the hearts of many in the local communities and remains a highly respected figure in their midst. Harold will surely forever be missed!

𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝

After Harold’s demise, it was difficult to imagine that the Health Promoters will continue, even among the most senior and trusted members of his organization, considering the role he played to attract support and sponsorship to the entity with his unique and unparalleled ability to bring people together. However, what we did not realize is that he had successfully brought on board the right people at the right time to take it from where he left off. Due to the impact that Harold’s love had for us all, we have risen to the challenge and kept the promise we made to him, to ‘keep the doors of the Health Promoters open for as long as our strengths and energies permit. The team of the Friends of the Health Promoters in the Netherlands, the Friends of the Health Promoters in Australia and the Board of Trustees in South Africa have put their hands on deck since Harold’s departure to take the organization to the next level. Ironically, Harold named this next and current level of his organization himself as “Health Promoters 2.0”, a period of new ideas, innovation and growth, while he was still with us but was unaware that he will not be present when it materializes.

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣

As team of the Health Promoters, we feel privileged to have been part of this movement and believe Harold would be proud when he looks down on us. He would be proud that the plans he had on paper are now executed daily in the local communities; he would be proud that we ended the last financial year with a gigantic music show by the popular Dutch singer, Stef Bos and singer and songwriter, also brand ambassador of the Health Promoters, Ms Luna Paige, in Stellenbosch, for the purpose of brand awareness and marketing of the organization. We celebrated our 10th anniversary A show that provided a platform for networking and saw dignitaries from all sectors of society coming together to celebrate with the Health Promoters, and in which we presented Harold and the genesis of the organization. Still, Harold would be proud of our follow up with his plans in Lesotho, through which we have contacted and met her royal highness queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho and discussed ways to spread our tentacles over there. As a sign of honour and appreciation for Harold’s selfless service to humankind, all the Health Information Centres of the Health Promoters have Harold’s enlargement hanging on the walls for all to see who is the originator of the initiative that is making such positive impact in their townships.

𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚

There are new ideas and horizons envisaged for the near future. Slowly but surely, Harold’s organization has become all of ours and we are working with the same drive, energy and love as he would, to make a difference in the lives of the underserved populations of the townships. It is a duty without an option. As we speak, the Health Promoters is being designed to be a self-sustaining organization with generations of its members going and coming but the company’s doors never closing, as long as healthcare education remains a critical element of societal wellbeing.

Today we think a little more than the other days about the man who started all this.

In memoriam:

Harold Edgar Robles

8 October 1948- 31 July 2020