Light For The People: THe Khumalo's* Story

Whenever we're asked to summarise what Lesedi does, well... it's a mouthful. Our multi-faceted departments work hand-in-hand on cases, addressing as many needs as possible with the aim to sustainably break their cycle of poverty. While a young man may need to learn skills to become employed, he may have basic food and medication needs to address in order to succeed in his studies. While a woman may need support groups to overcome abuse, she may also need a safe day care centre to leave her child, and opportunities to enter the workforce and become independent.

A great example of the holistic impact we aim to achieve is the Khumalo* family, whom we assisted towards the end of last year. Our outreach team were referred to the Khumalo's* by a concerned neighbour at a time when life did not look good for them. Their home was in shambles - a damaged 3-room shack made of aluminium with little ventilation, poor hygiene, no toilet and broken furniture. Jane*, the 49-year-old mother, was bedridden due to health issues and unable to take care of the house. Her son Zinhle* had passed matric but he was at home taking care of his mother and his younger sister Sarah* who was in Grade 7 at a local school. 

Our team met with them to assess their needs and what the house needed to become a healthier living environment. We got hold of Jane's* family members to take care of them while we renovated, and got to work. The house was extended with more rooms, we built an outdoor toilet, cleaned, fix the roof and gathered furniture donations. 

We helped Sarah* do her online applications for Grade 8 in 2021 with help from the Department of Education. She was successfully accepted in Letlotlo Secondary School. Zinhle* started attending our skills training courses in Basic Accredited Computer and Life Skills. When he graduated, we referred him to an opportunity to do a one-year learnership at a local grocery store, Big Save. He was chosen for an interview, which he passed and is now working at Big Save earning a monthly a stipend.   
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Today, they are all happy to be back home and leading more healthy, purposeful lives. We are still supporting them with clothing donations, food parcels and doing follow up visits. Our mission is to help people in our community get on their own two feet, become motivated and become independent of hand outs. That's why our name is "Lesedi la Batho" - meaning "light for the people" in Setswana.

Thank you for being a part of this beautiful project in Mabopane, South Africa!

Scroll through the gallery below to see before and after photos of the Khumalo's house. 

*Names changed to protect the identity of our beneficiaries

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