An Athlone pensioner would like nothing more than to be reunited with his brother.
Brain Waterloo, 67, last saw his brother, Ronald Waterloo, sometime in the 1980s at their biological father Abraham Waterloo’s funeral.
The brothers are two of seven siblings who were all placed in foster care when they were children.
According to Mr Waterloo, his brother, Ronald, was only three months old when social workers removed him from their family home.
Said Mr Waterloo: “We grew up in Crawford. Our parents, Abraham and Rachel, could not afford to care for us financially, so the system took us away from them. I am the second eldest of the siblings. I was 12 years old when we had to leave. The older ones, like myself, were placed in children’s homes, while the younger ones went to foster families. My brother, Ronald, is the youngest, and I think he could be around 55 years old now.”
He added that he had been trying for many years to get his siblings reunited and had managed to contact most of them. According to Mr Waterloo, his eldest sister lives somewhere in the Northern Cape, but they have lost contact over the years. One of his brothers, Clifford Waterloo, died one year ago.
“I reunited with our father in 1976, and, sadly, by that time, our mother had already passed on. She died in 1973. Our father died in the 1980s. At that time, we managed to inform all our siblings. So Ronald was at his funeral. That was the first time I saw Ronald again after he was taken away at three months old. In the 1980s, he was a teenager,” Mr Waterloo said.
The longing to be with his siblings had started when he got married more than 40 years ago, he said.
“When I started my own family, I could not help but yearn for my own siblings. My biggest desire is to see Ronald again. It is important that we know our roots, and my children must also know their family.”
A few weeks ago, Mr Waterloo visited the last known address for his brother, in Lupin Street, Lentegeur, but he no longer lives there.
“He grew up in Lentegeur with the family who raised him. They have since moved, and the other people living there now had no idea who I was looking for. I don’t even know if he knows about Clifford’s passing. My heart aches to be with Ronald again,” Mr Waterloo said.
If you can help Mr Waterloo locate his brother, call him on 068 115 8573.
