Afrika Tikkun recently held a competition to celebrate women undertaking phenomenal work in their communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Recognising the impact that Ma Thulile Maphumulo’s soup kitchen makes in Orange Farm, learners from Arekopaneng Centre selected her for the Community Builder Award. They also appreciated the fact that Ma Maphumulo is also living by Afrika Tikkun values by giving back to the community
As Ma Maphumulo walked the streets of Orange Farm, she realised that many people in the community were starving as a result of job losses and the financial hardship experienced by small businesses. In addition, households in the community usually depend on only one or two breadwinners. Seeing the hunger gap in her community and being a pastor, Ma Maphumulo felt it was important for her to act to alleviate this suffering. As a result, she cooks food and distributes food items using her own money. She has also started a vegetable garden for the benefit of the community and received a chicken donation from Afrika Tikkun which she was very grateful for.
The other reason she was chosen by the learners is that Afrika Tikkun Arekopaneng Centre assisted her son, Mbuso Maphumulo. Mbuso began at Arekopaneng Centre in Grade 9 in our Child and Youth Development Programme, and eventually graduated from our Career Development and Placement programme. He also received an opportunity to further his studies in medicine at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth.
As part of her Community Builder Award, Ms Maphumulo won a Pick n’ Pay shopping voucher worth R700, a grocery bucket and was presented with a certificate on the 9 August 2020 at our women’s day celebration event at Uthando Centre in Braamfontein. We celebrate Ma Maphumulo’s generous heart and compassion for her community!
