Christmas came early for 21-year-old Ntabiseng Seleho, who has been a mother to her younger sister since their own mom died in 2023.
Despite her age, she carries the full responsibility of running the household, often going to bed anxious about where their next meal will come from.
Last week, that burden was eased, even if only for a time. Seleho was among more than 600 beneficiaries who received food parcels and sandals from the Taiwan-based Buddhist charity Tzu Chi Foundation, bringing rare relief to families struggling across Krugersdorp and surrounding communities.
On Friday, hundreds queued outside the Gemoto Industrial Alliance building under a scorching sun. Some sheltered under umbrellas, others with hats, but the heat meant little to people who had gone days without decent meals.
‘I became a mother at 19’
“My mother passed away in August 2023 when I was 19, leaving me to take care of my 17-year-old sister,” said Seleho.
“At that time, I was doing matric, but my schoolwork suffered because I had to look after my sick mother. I would tend to her before going to school.”
According to the 2024 Child Gauge, an estimated 30,000 children in South Africa live in child-only households. The Children’s Act defines a child-headed household as one where the adults are either too sick, too old, or unable to lead the family, leaving a child over 16 to shoulder the responsibility.
‘I failed matric and finding work is hard’
Seleho says finishing school became nearly impossible.
“I failed matric, and that makes it even harder to find a job. In my village in North West, I cleaned people’s houses or did laundry just to keep the wolf from the door,” she said.
Earlier this year, she moved to live with her aunt in Soul City, an informal settlement outside Krugersdorp, hoping to find any kind of work, even nannying. Then one day, she met Tzu Chi volunteers who introduced her to the foundation.
“I’m so happy we got the food parcels. At least this month we won’t have to worry about our next meal,” she said.
‘My cupboards are empty’
Another beneficiary, Nompumelelo Majola, 39, a mother of six children ranging from age four to 19, said the support came just as her family reached breaking point.
“The grant money is not enough to buy food and clothes. It doesn’t even last the whole month. I’m unemployed, and it hurts to see my cupboards empty,” she said.
“This month I won’t spend much on food. I’ll be able to buy second-hand clothes for my children.”
More than 12-million South Africans live below the poverty line. Unicef reports that 23% of children in the country face severe food poverty, putting them at risk of malnutrition and long-term health complications.
Inside Tzu Chi’s work in South Africa
Tzu Chi, which has operated in South Africa for 32 years, focuses on providing medical care, education, disaster relief, environmental programmes and humanitarian assistance.
CEO Tim Huang said the organisation helps about 50,000 families annually, with volunteers visiting families to assess needs.
“In Johannesburg alone, we have helped about 36,000 families. We give food, clothes and other essential items, and we get donations from community members,” he said.
“During Covid-19, the department of social development paired us with NGOs so we could reach more people. When the pandemic hit, we donated over 680,000 PPE items to 27 hospitals. We didn’t lock down, we continued working, ” said Huang, who added they also work with the Gift of the Givers.
Tzu Chi also holds consultative status with the UN.
‘We realised children had nothing to eat on weekends’
Huang said their earliest projects in South Africa began in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal.
“We realised the severe lack of education infrastructure and built seven primary schools, which we later handed over to the government. We also run tutoring and bursary programmes,” he said.
We were kids with bad habits, but volunteering taught us values. My parents could not afford school fees. The foundation supported me, and even now, they continue to help.
— Shamon Mofokeng
The foundation also runs soup kitchens because volunteers noticed many children only ate at school from Monday to Friday.
Currently, Tzu Chi supports about 45 high school pupils and between 50 and 90 tertiary students.
‘I would not have studied without the bursary’
Livhuwani Vision Masindi, 22, who studied health promotion at Greenview College, said a bursary from the organisation changed her life.
“They paid for everything. I couldn’t afford my studies after matric. Without them, I would not have gone to college.”
Shamon Mofokeng, 23, was introduced to the foundation through a soup kitchen when he was in Grade 4.
“We were kids with bad habits, but volunteering taught us values. My parents could not afford school fees. The foundation supported me, and even now, they continue to help. We’re going to Taiwan soon for international exposure, to learn, share ideas, and see how to improve our communities,” Mofokeng said.
As families left clutching their parcels, Huang reminded recipients of the foundation’s ethos: “Today, we are here to share love with you. Today I help you, tomorrow you help someone else.”
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