Luke chose the road less travelled and shines a light into the darkness, darkness most turn away from. He so often hears, “I could never do your job, I don’t know how you do what you do”. Luke’s response, “I do not need for you to do my job and I would not choose to do yours”.
He is called to come into the lives of people when they are most devastated, to sit in the darkness. He is asked, “Why do you go into the darkness?”. Luke responds, “Because there are people there”.
Thank-you very much indeed, not only for your input today, but also for your ongoing efforts around matters of such critical importance to our Heads, to our schools and especially to all the young people in them.
We always value being able to learn new ideas especially when we are learning from the best of the best! We are tasked with the important job of protecting and helping our children thrive. Your input, support and involvement are so appreciated.
Luke's honest and straightforward delivery of his extensive experience and professional knowledge in the field of child development always hits the 'right spots' and not only enriches others knowledge but also makes them challenge their own thoughts, beliefs and behavior. What really resonated with me was the message that I have been trying to instill in parents for the past 10 years - the parent-child relationship is a child's biggest protective factor.
In more than two decades of child abuse advocacy I have come across many champions of children’s rights, and very few people come close to Luke Lamprecht. I am sometimes astounded by the sheer volume of work he puts into the various projects (including those with Women and Men Against Child Abuse) that he is involved with at any given time, and the ability and confidence with which he tackles everything he does. He is a mentor to many, and certainly one of the leading voices in our field. I am proud, honoured, and privileged to be a friend and colleague of a man who has made and continues to make such a massive positive contribution to the lives of thousands of children. We will never be able to calculate the tremendous debt that South Africa’s youth owes Luke for his work on the ground with abused children and his project to divert troubled youth as well as his insight and vocal advocacy at every level.
Luke is always crediting people for being legends or super heroes but actually HE IS THE SUPER HERO who inspires us all! He puts his heart and soul into all his endeavours to uplift and improve the lives of inner city children.
When I met Luke, I was humbled by his passion and commitment and inspired by the impact of Fight with Insight on the families living in the inner city. Little did I know that this was just the tip of the iceberg. Through the years I have come to know Luke as a leader, advocate, boxer, innovator, teacher, runner, protector, family man and pet lover.
Luke has a longstanding relationship with Kingsmead College and he truly epitomizes the Kingsmead values of courage, purpose, responsibility, possibility and service. His ability to stand up to authority and power, his willingness to take risks, to speak the truth, to be a voice for the unheard, and his true empathy for other is inspiring. Through his selflessness and sense of purpose he uplifts and brings out the best in people. He believes that positive change is possible and empowers others to bring about this change.
There are a select group of people in life who know how to throw a winning ‘knockout punch’ and Luke has certainly done that by using his tenacity, knowledge and passion to help the youth who need him most. Luke has been a valuable lecturer on the Wits MSC Neurodevelopment course for many years, imparting his knowledge and experience regarding the tough issues around child advocacy and child protection. He is a spokesperson and champion for the vulnerable in our society.