American skateboarder Jason Vanporppal says an anonymous donor has contributed $1 500 (about R25 000) to his fundraising campaign for Uganda's first public skatepark, replacing the amount he previously alleged was misappropriated.
The donation comes days after Vanporppal publicly claimed that R25 000 intended for the project had been withheld by a woman who had volunteered to help secure sponsorships. He has since said he intends to pursue legal action.
In a series of new videos posted to social media, Vanporppal said the woman failed to return the money within the 24-hour deadline he had set and that she had blocked him on Facebook and WhatsApp.
He also alleged that he had uncovered information about her background during his own investigation but said he would not publicly reveal her identity beyond her first name, "Haley", because he did not want to jeopardise potential legal proceedings.
The videos include part of a phone conversation in which the woman denied intentionally withholding the funds, telling Vanporppal she had "lost every single thing" she owned and had recently moved into a shack. She also told him she intended to repay the money and provide proof of payment.
Despite the ongoing dispute, Vanporppal shared a more optimistic update on Tuesday after discovering an anonymous $1 500 donation on his GoFundMe page.
"Someone was nice enough to donate the same amount of money that was originally supposed to be donated to the GoFundMe," he said.
He said the contribution had restored his faith after what had been a difficult week and thanked supporters for continuing to back the project.
Vanporppal added that the campaign is now approaching its final fundraising target of $50 000, after which the money will be transferred to partners in Kampala to purchase land for Uganda's first public skatepark. He also pledged to document how every donation is spent to ensure transparency.
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