HONOURING OUR HERO
CHRISTEL DEHAAN One of the greatest tragedies of the year under review was the loss of founder, stalwart supporter and friend to each child at Christel House, Christel DeHaan. Christel passed away after a long illness on 6 June 2020, surrounded by her close family and friends. She was 77. Born in Nördlingen, Germany, in 1942, Christel emigrated to the United States at the age of 20. In 1974, at age 32, she co-founded the timeshare business, Resort Condominium International (RCI). Under her leadership, RCI grew into a global enterprise, with offices in 38 countries. In 1996, she sold RCI and in 1998 established Christel House International with the goal of transforming the lives of impoverished children around the world. Christel House SA’s roots date back to the early
2000s, when Christel visited the country to establish the first Christel House school in Cape Town. Carol Kriel, our Junior School Principal, recalls how she and many of the other staff went door-todoor to recruit the school’s first students. To their amazement, many parents were very sceptical about this new private school for underprivileged students that ‘did not cost a cent.’ As Carol explains, “No one could believe that there was this person who was going to do all these amazing things for their children.” Today, there are eight Christel House institutions worldwide, collectively serving over 5 000 students and graduates every day. Thanks to Christel’s careful planning, the work of Christel House will continue to be supported through funding from the Endless Success Foundation, created by her estate. It was her wish that all Christel House general and administrative expenses be covered in perpetuity. This allows all donor investments to continue to directly serve the programmes and services needed by Christel House students. CLICK TO WATCH
On 25 June 2020, our staff, THE TRIBUTE VIDEO students, alumni, board members and partners paid tribute to Christel in a special video on Facebook Live, sharing memories, messages and music. 10 | CHRISTEL HOUSE SA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
