My name is Marcel and I am veeeerrry new here (youthzone site). In fact, this is the first blog that I have ever posted. I have met Schalk during June and he told me about the exciting things and projects that you guys are busy with. I again met with Schalk this afternoon before he left for the soccer tournament and braai some you guys are engaged in - he was super excited about the event and looking forward to the braai afterwards.

I would really like to meet up at some stage and experience first hand what you guys are doing. I have played a bit of club soccer in Port Elizabeth (not Supersport...haha) and always loved to fake an illegal tackle until I was chased away for not taking the game serious enough...little did they know the jokes was my nervous way of coping with being unfit.

I am currently a lecturer at UNISA and teaching forensic/criminal investigations at the Department of Police Practice. I left SAPS last year where I was attached to the Hawks investigating human/child trafficking. I was also a hostage negotiator in the police. I miss all the action but still very much involved in counter-trafficking activities.

I love inspirational quotes and bible verses which I repeat to myself whenever I feel a bit sad, angry, uncertain or just missing my family in the Eastern Cape. I love people and dont like it when someone hurts......I am a firm believer in the principle communicated by Martin Luther King JR :

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”

I think we live in exciting times in South Africa..........the needs are great and so is the call for people to stand up and make a difference where it is most needed. I know I want to make a difference........Talking about exciting times, how about our SA team at the London Olympics making a difference? I believe this is just a small token of what is to come in the years ahead....the only challenge for SA is for our engineers to build a machine powerful enough to beat Hussein Bolt :)

Take care everyone and would love to meet up sometime!

Marcel