Turn Intention Into Action
Paying It Forward
This story begins half a world away in South Africa, where one young girl had a simple desire: to give back to her local community.
At the time, she had no idea that a small act of service would grow into a life-changing journey.
Karla Venter was just 12 years old when she began working on a project for her Youth Conservation Club, an initiative
designed to teach young people about environmental stewardship and community involvement.
Throughout this program, Karla participated in various activities, including cleaning up local areas in Rustenburg.
Creating arts and crafts, going on camping trips, and fundraising. She also helped senior citizens and visited
children's hospitals.
Through these experiences, Karla developed essential team-building skills, honed her shooting abilities, and practiced various survival techniques.
As her understanding of community deepened, Karla felt inspired to reach out to a local animal shelter to help raise
much-needed funds. This initial outreach ignited a passion within her, urging her to think bigger and do more.
By the age of 15, Karla had a pivotal conversation with her father, who was an avid hunter, and she proposed donating the meat from her hunts to a local orphanage.
Motivated by her research, she became determined to support children in need and began narrowing down her search for suitable orphanages.
After conducting a thorough investigation, she chose The Morester Child and Youth Care Center, established in 2008 by Helen Lotz, who recognized the urgent need for a safe haven for vulnerable children. Morester aimed to provide loving homes for orphans and upheld a philosophy that children should not be released onto the streets after turning 15.
With this vision, Karla reached out to Helen, eager to learn how she could assist, and proposed donating meat prepared specifically for their needs. As Karla built her relationship with Morester, she
quickly realized there was still more that could be done to help the orphanage.
Inspired by the orphanage's goal to expand the children's opportunities, she envisioned creating a mentorship program and seeking other forms of support beyond meat donations.
Karla's vision began to take shape as she collaborated closely with Helen and deepened her connections with
the children living at the orphanage.
During this time, Karla's family met a little girl who would eventually become her sister, bringing even more love into their lives. They first encountered her in the playroom, where the bond formed instantly.
Despite the adoption process that took 3 1/2 years, Karla and her family felt sure that this little girl was destined to be part of their family. Their shared love transformed lives, and Helen often remarked that
"When you show a child love, their arms naturally open towards the love."
This is precisely what happened.
Karla continued to support Morester in any way she could, reaching out to others for donations and providing meat whenever needed. As she remained engaged with the orphanage, she sensed the mission was
evolving, and her role was expanding.
This evolution in her journey eventually led her to become the marketing manager for Dream Team Safaris. In this role, she travels alongside her owners, Rupert Venter and Henno Cronje,
to various shows around the world, representing their safari business.
Karla is now in her early 20s. She uses everything she has learned to evolve her outreach and continues to expand the orphanage's needs.
In 2024, my husband Jeff Goulet and I met Karla at an SCI Chapter event in Rapid City, South Dakota. Jeff and I travel throughout the tri-state area of Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota, and attend SCI shows each year
to educate hunters on how they can payit forward during their hunting experience.
Together, we aim to teach hunters how to give back while hunting by utilizing initiatives like the Bell Family Bell Blue Bags program. SCI and the Blue Bag program plays a crucial role in am-
plifying their mission and expanding their reach.
What began as a simple introduction soon evolved into a meaningful collaboration, highlighted by a phone call that asked, "Can you help?"
Over the next year, Karla and her team at Dream Team Safaris collaborated with the Goulet family to establish a foundation in the U.S. dedicated to supporting orphanages in South Africa, starting with the
The Morester Child and Youth Care Center.
We accepted an invitation to visit and meet both the Dream Team Safari team and Helen's team at Morester. Together, inspired by Karla's vision to give back and support those in need, we have founded the Goulet
Cares Project Foundation.
Karla's story - rooted in the power of youth leadership and fueled by love and determination- continues to grow and inspire others to uplift their communities and create lasting impact. We are proud to be involved with such a motivated and generous young
woman, and we look forward to paying it forward while supporting Karla as she pursues even bigger dreams.
To learn how you can support Karla's mission, whether by donating, providing needed items for the Morester orphanage or helping give a child a loving home,
please contact Dream Team Safaris at dreamteamsafaris.co.za.
If you are interested in adoption, visit www.facebook.com/moresterkinderhuis.co.za.
