Enny Mosima spent 24 years of her life living in a shack in Zandspruit, an informal settlement west of Johannesburg. Her small home had no running water and she had to use a communal bathroom outside – very unsafe in the evenings. She found life very tough trying to care for herself and 4 children. She was introduced to our Parent Support Groups (PSGs) where she learned how to care for herself and nurture and keep her children stimulated. She blossomed and was soon working at HOPE worldwide SA as a Community Worker. With both her parents unable to find work and living off a government grant, her family had to lean heavily on her for financial support.
But Enny has a fierce spirit and wanted to see other parents and families thrive. In only 6 months, she helped establish PSGs for 168 vulnerable women! These women would go on to be equipped to take control of their own lives, build up their self-esteem and raise their children with love and greater nurturing.
The following year, Enny became a Site Coordinator, in charge of the entire province of Limpopo. At the time there were many teenage mothers in the region who had dropped out of high-school. Through the PSG, Enny helped to support these girls with what they needed to take care of their children. After graduating from the program, with renewed hope, many of the girls went on to matriculate. After 3 months in Limpopo, Enny’s impact grew as parents started recruiting other parents themselves. More recently, above all the other incredible things she’s been doing, throughout the National Lockdown, Enny partnered with the Department of Social Development (DSD) to help put homeless people into shelters and cook for them.
“When I see people suffer, I suffer as well,” says Enny. “It brings me relief to see others become successful because of my help. I don’t want to see people struggling. Even if I can’t assist certain people I can at least hear them out and give referrals. I cannot get over doing what I do. I just love to help people to survive in life. For example, one lady had a problem with her husband. There was no trust, no love and she suffered constant abuse. She had a low self-esteem and couldn’t speak in front of people without breaking down. She would go as far as to take her kids and run away without a place to sleep. I invited her and her husband to join our PSG. Through it, the woman’s relationship with her husband and children is much healthier. At her graduation, she was in tears reflecting on how she is more self-confident and how her husband now takes care of both her and the kids”.
After Enny checked with the lady a few months later, she was excited to share how her family and household were continuing to improve.
We’re so grateful for the unsung heroes like Enny that we get to work and partner with to make a difference in the lives of children and families in need.
If you would like to help us increase our reach in these disadvantaged communities and get people like Enny to help give children the best possible start in life, consider making a donation at https://hopeworldwidesa.org/donate-now
Your contribution really does make a difference!