Ruth Pasi from Box Hill. has dedicated her life to caring for children in need. With six children of her own, Ruth has also fostered two additional children and, eleven years ago, started a special program for troubled youth.
Through her African Theatres organisation, Ruth has taken a total of 46 teenagers to Zimbabwe for three weeks to show them how children on the other side of the world live.
Ruth fundraises tirelessly all year and uses money she earns as an Uber driver to add to the necessary funds. She is now planning her sixth trip in November this year 2025, with the hope of taking up to 15 teenagers, depending on how much she can raise.
“We stay on a farm about 60kms from Harare,” Ruth says. During their stay, the teenagers help on the farm and visit a local orphanage, spending time with the children.
Ruth believes this trip breaks barriers and changes lives. “It’s a journey,” she says. “Some children we take to Africa don’t have a lot of hope. This trip is therapy and healing. I take a child to Africa, and it changes them.”
Ruth has witnessed the profound transformation in kids who are at a very low point in their lives, skipping school, suffering from eating disorders, feeling depressed and even suicidal.
“When they interact with the children they meet every day in Africa, they change. The smiles, the laughter, and the bonds formed create a ripple effect of hope and healing,” she says.
Josh aged 17 says: “This trip to Africa was life-changing. I was feeling lost and hopeless, but meeting the children there and seeing their resilience gave me a new perspective on life. I came back with a renewed sense of purpose.”
Amber, 18: “Helping on the farm and spending time with the kids at the orphanage made me realise how fortunate I am. It was a humbling experience that taught me the value of gratitude and compassion.”
Kelly, 15, “I was struggling with depression and skipping school before the trip. But interacting with the children in Africa and seeing their joy despite their circumstances inspired me to make positive changes in my own life.”
Chanel, 21: “This trip truly healed me in ways I never imagined.”
One of the most inspiring success stories from Ruth’s past trips is that of Corey, a teenager who was feeling lost and hopeless before the journey. Corey had been struggling with depression and skipping school, but the trip to Africa changed everything. Corey returned home with a renewed sense of purpose and hope.
The fundraising is all year round to enable more children to attend. Ruth says: “Every contribution, big or small, makes a significant impact and brings hope and healing to these young lives.”
To find out more and how to get involved, visit africantheatres.com.
