Paul Harris Award

Amelia Jones is known as the Angel of Cape Town. The Rotarians recently honoured her 40 years of community work with the Paul Harris Award. Amelia was born in Goodwood and grew up in Athlone. Her father was a school teacher, and emphasised the importance of education. Amelia attended Harold Cressey High School, where she had positive teachers. After high school, she went to the University of the Western Cape for a social work degree. She spent a year at the University of North Carolina on a study bursary. Her first job was with the then Department of Coloured Affairs, where she worked in the Manenberg area. Three years later she started working at Child Welfare, where she worked in Hanover Park with foster care and child abuse cases. Amelia eventually ended up working for the Western Cape Community Chest, where she became executive head in 1996. The Community Chest supports about 400 charity organisations. Amelia was married to the activist Peter Jones and has two daughters.