Rob Hollands was truly one of the most inspirational and generous people to have ever lived. Whether it was with his time, advice, one of his vehicles, or his money, my dad was always happy and eager to share with whoever needed it, always without any expectation of ever being repaid. He embodied the ethos of "paying it forward".
By now, you will likely be aware that Rob suddenly and tragically passed away while visiting the UK. We are all shocked and devasted by his unexpected passing, but so grateful for the life he lived and the love he shared with us all.
We have created this platform with a deeply mixed mindset. On the one hand, we as a family do not want to ask anyone for anything - we certainly do not want to profit or benefit from Dad's passing or diminish his legacy and memory in any way, nor do we want this to be interpreted as an appeal for people to give us money. It goes without saying that you cannot quantify the value of a human life, particularly the life my dad lived. We’d trade all the money in the world just to have him back with us for one more day.
However, it goes without saying that there are a lot of unplanned costs that come with something of this nature, particularly with him having passed away so far away from home in a foreign country. From cremation costs, to repatriation, to flights for my sister back to Zim from the UK, to the legal costs and making sure my mum is taken care of; all these things add up.
While we have been overwhelmed with the love and support of the community around us and know that we will not need or want for anything, we are also very aware that there will be many of you around the world who were deeply impacted by my dad and the role he played in your lives, and you may want to help the family in some small way. Given this, we decided to set up this platform to manage that in the most efficient and transparent way possible.
We absolutely do not want anyone to feel obliged to give anything, so please do not feel like you have to. This is purely for anyone who feels called to do so or wants to embody Dad's generous spirit.
To ensure that everything is fully transparent and to honour Dad in the best way possible, we would like to reassure you all that whatever funds are raised will only be used to cover costs directly incurred as a result of this tragedy. Once those costs are covered, any remnants will be given back to Dad's flagship projects, his church - Kingdom People Church, assistance with school fees for children in need, maintenance and repairs of his various building projects, and theological education courses. We want to keep his legacy alive in the way that he would have wanted - by giving back to the community.
So, if you feel like giving to the family is something that you would like (or need) to do, then we will gratefully accept your kindness. If this is not for you, but you'd still like to leave a short message, then please do that as well.
But no matter what, please know that as a family and as the broader community around Rob, everything will be handled in a way that honours Dad and his legacy.
If you are unable to use a bank card or access the donation link but would still like to contribute in some way, you are welcome to use EcoCash to 0772 250 812 (Josh) or 0772 224 093 (Margie).
On behalf of the Hollands family, thank you.
Josh
