The Day I Met Jeremy Loops
Updated: Nov 23
Going Wild with Rhys - Greenpop Making a Difference
My mom pulled me out of school early one day. I had a suspicion that in the same week we were meeting Jeremy Loops at a school garden being funded by him.
When we got to the Bhongolethu Primary School with some other American guests of my parents’ travel company, Jeremy wasn’t there yet. We waited for about twenty minutes, but as soon as I was looking for a bathroom, the parking lot gate slid open to reveal none other than Jeremy Loops and his sister/personal assistant.
I instantaneously ran up to him. A few ducking under arms and swerving to avoid bumping people over later, I was right next to him. I gave him the biggest hug I had ever given a stranger (well he wasn’t really a stranger, cause I’d been listening to his music for about three years). He smiled and said “Hey buddy, how are you?” In my mind I was saying stuff like ‘should I mention one of his songs?’ Or ‘ I like your music!’. But my mind just stopped on one answer: “Good, and you?”. He gave a chuckle and proceeded to greet all the other guests.
The school head: Ms. Vicky, gave us a tour of the school. We then went out to see the children playing soccer, and duck duck goose and this hopscotch game I had never seen before. Jeremy brought us into the garden he had helped build with Urban Harvest during COVID and funded with GreenPop, the organization he co-founded. He gave this awesome speech about
how he secretly loved music in college but he went on to become a yachtsman. There was this part in his yacht career when he took some clients around the world and got stuck in Bahamas for a long time because the owners never showed up and how wasteful it all seemed. Then he talked about how he helped found GreenPop and created this garden.
After the speech I asked to get a photo with him. He said yes. We walked back to the cars and said our goodbyes. He also kinda knew of me from a private show he did in the SwartLand. Even though I wasn’t there, my dad requested that he played Waves, one of my favorite songs of his. After we went home, I was so excited I got to meet Jeremy Loops!
Thank you for reading. - Rhys Taylor
Khashana Travel is now a supporter of Greenpop, visit www.greenpop.org if you’d like more information on this fantastic organization that is building urban gardens in underserved communities and helping to reforest South Africa!
Rhys is our Intrepid Wildlife Guide-in-Training. Since birth, Rhys has been exposed to Africa, in all its wild beauty. Like his father, Rhys has Africa running through his veins and enjoys every adventure to the max.
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