SA petrol attendant's act of kindness warms hearts
A petrol attendant's act of kindness has now sparked an entire movement of kindness…
After Justin Roderick's car ran out of petrol just 2 km from his daughters' school, they were left stranded with no other option but to walk to the nearest petrol station.
Speaking to Martin Bester, Roderick said that he managed to move his car to the side of the road but was left humiliated.
He took the hands of his two daughters, aged nine and 11, and set off to the petrol station.
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"My eldest daughter gave me the R20 in coins I had given her for drinks," Roderick added, saying it broke his heart to have to take the money from his daughter.
Once they arrived at the petrol station, Roderick asked petrol attendant Warren Bhebe to fill a bottle with whatever amount the R20 could buy him.
The 40-year-old told Martin that he had no other money.
"I've been through a lot and lost everything," Roderick said.
He told Martin that, lately, he and his family had been struggling and would only put small amounts of petrol into their vehicle to get from one place to another.
Bhebe could clearly see that the family was in desperate need, so in an act of kindness, he decided to fill up a 5-litre bottle with petrol that he would pay for himself.
He told Martin that Bhebe had gone to his supervisor and asked if he could fill a 5-litre bottle for Roderick.
When Roderick walked up to pay for his petrol, the supervisor of the petrol station shook his head and pointed at Bhebe, saying, "He's paying for it."
The desperate father could not believe the act of kindness and had to hold back his tears.
When Roderick walked up to Bhebe to thank him, the petrol attendant extended his arm, and what Roderick thought was going to be a mere handshake turned out to be another act of kindness.
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The kind petrol attendant slipped R100 into Roderick's hand.
"I've been through a lot, lost everything, and there is this guy who earns very little himself, who gave me R100 and filled up a 5-litre bottle with petrol."
"It really, really moved me, and it took me two hours to write that post. As I was writing, there were tears running down my cheeks."
Roderick was able to get his girls to school on time, and his eldest was still able to go on the school trip that the R20 he initially gave her was for.
He also told Martin that this act of kindness inspired him and filled his heart with hope.
Bhebe told Matin that his kindness was first sparked because he was raised by a good family who taught him to help others.
When he saw Roderick's daughter crying at the petrol station, he also knew he needed to help.
Paying it forward
Roderick has launched a BackaBuddy campaign as a way to pay it forward.
Many people have been asking how they can help, and with this BackaBuddy campaign, they will be able to.
"I came up with the idea of the platform and BackaBuddy," said Roderick.
"If you really just want to help Warren directly, go to BackaBuddy, and he is part of that movement, and that money will also directly go to Warren."
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"The idea is to use this money to pay it forward and assist others."
The Ripple Effect is a revolutionary platform where kindness literally becomes currency:
- People earn Kindness Points by helping others.
- These points can be used for groceries, services, or support when needed.
- Users build Trust Scores that open doors to job opportunities.
- A Kindness Marketplace connects communities to share skills, food, time, and love.
Our goal: 100,000 acts of kindness touching 1 million lives in Year 1!
Find the BackaBuddy campaign here: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/the-ripple-effect
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Images: Facebook/ Justin Roderick