Fulufhelo Manngo, a crèche owner and farmer from Thohoyandou, Venda, has taken it upon herself to help feed hundreds of homeless people in her community.
There is a lack of concrete statistics on people who are homeless in South Africa, with estimates showing that upwards of 15 000 people are living on the streets in and around Johannesburg alone.
Manngo started the initiative in 2018, feeding people living around Pretoria's streets. The giving woman does this with money from her own pockets.
“I have to put what I will spend on the initiative in my monthly budget so that I will have enough because I don't have anybody helping me,” she says.
Working with children, Manngo is a naturally caring individual who wants to make a positive impact in society. This past Sunday (June 19), she fed 142 people in Thohoyandou.
“During the week I give them the leftovers from my crèche and I cook for them on the weekends. Typically I spend from R1000 to R2000 per week depending on what I am buying,” she explains.
According to the country’s Central Drug Authority, 15 percent of South Africans have a drug problem.
Homeless people are often shunned by society, with community members blaming them for robberies, theft, and various other crimes. They can also be seen as being a bad influence on children.
However, Manngo does not turn anyone away; even those that use the infamous drug, nyaope or whoonga are welcome. This highly destructive and addictive drug is made from a combination of heroin, marijuana, caffeine, efavirenz, dextromethorphan and nevirapine.
She has goals of going further in her efforts to give back to the area.
“I want to see those guys out of the street one day, and my dream is to open a free rehabilitation centre for them where they can go and stay while they are getting help,” says Manngo.
A Thohoyandou local, Phalanndwa Unarine, says Manngo's work is one of the best ways to help people in the area.
“We have such a high unemployment rate in South Africa, and without jobs, many people are going to bed with empty stomachs. Initiatives like this are very important and I wish others could join in. God bless Mam’ Manngo,” he says.
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