After stealing the hearts of the South African people, Tannie Poppie (63) from Laingsburg is set to leave her mark on Italy.
Six years ago, Stan Engelbrecht (43) from Cape Town met Poppie van As (63), an elderly underprivileged lady who has a small roadside ‘roosterbrood’ stand on the N1 in Laingsburg.
“I happened to be cycling in Laingsburg around New Years about 6 years ago, and to be honest, the first thing that drew me to Poppie’s roadside stand was the wonderful aroma of her ‘roosterbrood’! I bought one – with jam and cheese if I remember correctly – and we had a chat. If you’ve ever met Poppie you’ll know that she is instantly likeable. Just full of great energy. Before I left town I returned to her stand and bought a few more plain ‘roosterbrood’, simply because they’re that delicious.” – says Stan.
A few months later Stan had the idea to ask Poppie to prepare some ‘roosterbrood’ for a bicycle race he was organizing.
“She was a huge hit, preparing her ‘roosterbrood’ on a hill just outside of town near the end of that day’s racing stage! Everyone loved it, and so she was asked to return every year.” says Stan.
Touched by Poppie’s incredible life story and her bubbly personality, the Italian representatives at the Eroica South Africa event have invited her to Gaiole, Italy to attend the main Eroica event as a special guest, covering the cost of her plane ticket for the 3-day event.
“When I told her about the invitation to visit Italy, she ran around screaming at the top of her lungs as she has never left the Western Cape in her life. I know that this is a dream-come-true for her, and this experience will change her life forever.” says Stan
Crowdfunding on BackaBuddy
To make this trip as special as possible, Stan and his girlfriend Donnet Dumas (32), decided to accompany Poppie on the trip to show her everything that Italy has to offer, and take her on a once in a lifetime road trip.
With the launch of a campaign on donations based crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy, Tannie Poppie became a viral internet sensation. Her humble personality and infectious spirit have captured the hearts of thousands of South Africans who have contributed more than R100 000 towards her trip.
Leaving for Italy
After weeks of excitement, Poppie finally arrived at Cape Town International Airport on the 25 September with her bags packed for her Italian adventure, her first-ever trip overseas. Soon after being spotted by ground staff at Turkish Airlines, Poppie and her posse were offered business class seats, which she humbly accepted.
Before her trip, Poppie shared a special message of thanks to everyone who supported her cause. To see how Poppie’s trip went, check out her Instagram page, for photos that will make you smile!
Business Class, nogal.
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