Madisha recalled that growing up wasn’t easy as he was from a poor background and was discriminated against because he didn’t have fancy clothes.
The discrimination from his peers affected his self-esteem, and he found he couldn’t express his thoughts, though he was a bright pupil. He said he couldn’t concentrate in class because he was always hungry.
“For me, the inspiration came from where I grew up and my team in the organisation comprises people that I grew up with. My team is everyone that I went to school with, people that I used to ask for food,” he said.
He said growing up in abject poverty and knowing what starvation could do to a child inspired him to be more involved in the community and to help children.
He grew up in a poor and abusive background. His elder brother, who has since passed away, used to perform magic tricks for money to buy them food whenever their parents were away.
His brother eventually turned to drugs.
“I do not want anyone to experience the pain that I experienced and I believe that each and every person deserves a fair opportunity to face life and be successful.
“Even if we do not come from privileged families, if we have fair opportunities and equal resources, then we can express ourselves,” he said.
He said children are not born bullies but their daily frustrations and starvation fuel anger and pain.
Ponelopelo Community Development has grown into a fully fledged organisation which offers a diversity of programmes and initiatives in the community, such as women's seminars, mental health awareness and suicide-prevention seminars.
They collect clothes and encourage people to donate shoes, toiletries and school uniforms which they distribute to children in orphanages and vulnerable households.
He said each morning they go to the local stadium and serve children breakfast before school.
Their initiative feeds more than 250 children but Madisha wants to feed at least 400 a day.
“Before we even reach 350, our resources are finished because the children come from six schools.
Madisha said without a regular job, any funding or sponsorship, they strive hard to raise money. Fortunately, people approach them and offer to help with funds.
“When we get those funds we will buy bread and ask for a receipt and send it back to the donors so they see that their money has gone to children.
“Even now, we sell chicken's feet, we sell atchar, we sell snacks, we have a popcorn machine — there is a high school where we sell each and every day, and part of the proceeds go towards the breakfasts and the organisation,” he said.
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From selling chicken feet, 'Mr Mayor' is able to feed 250 children
Image: Supplied
From the proceeds of selling chicken feet, atchar and snacks, Jacob Madisha serves about 250 underprivileged children breakfast every day before they start school.
The 28-year-old from Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, started the breakfast initiative about three years ago without any funding or sponsorship but with a desire to give every child an opportunity to succeed.
“The breakfast drive first started as an after-school programme where we would go to a specific place and wait for children to arrive and give them a meal.
“We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Sometimes when you give these children the meal, you not only giving them food, you give them the ability to express themselves, the ability to be able to participate in class and use their God-given talents,” he said.
Without any resources, Madisha founded Ponelopelo Community Development in 2017 as a motivational speaker. He then visited several local high schools, motivated pupils and offered a mentorship programme.
He realised that the pupils didn't lack motivation, but they didn’t have school shoes and wore torn uniforms.
“We could see that this hindered their effectiveness and ability to express themselves and focus in class,” he said.
Dubbed “Mr Mayor” in his community for the work he does, he started his development organisation to collect and distribute old clothes to underprivileged children.
“I didn’t have funds to buy each and every child a school uniform or clothes, so we started collecting clothes. Then it was one project after another, until where we are today,” he said.
Image: Supplied
Madisha recalled that growing up wasn’t easy as he was from a poor background and was discriminated against because he didn’t have fancy clothes.
The discrimination from his peers affected his self-esteem, and he found he couldn’t express his thoughts, though he was a bright pupil. He said he couldn’t concentrate in class because he was always hungry.
“For me, the inspiration came from where I grew up and my team in the organisation comprises people that I grew up with. My team is everyone that I went to school with, people that I used to ask for food,” he said.
He said growing up in abject poverty and knowing what starvation could do to a child inspired him to be more involved in the community and to help children.
He grew up in a poor and abusive background. His elder brother, who has since passed away, used to perform magic tricks for money to buy them food whenever their parents were away.
His brother eventually turned to drugs.
“I do not want anyone to experience the pain that I experienced and I believe that each and every person deserves a fair opportunity to face life and be successful.
“Even if we do not come from privileged families, if we have fair opportunities and equal resources, then we can express ourselves,” he said.
He said children are not born bullies but their daily frustrations and starvation fuel anger and pain.
Ponelopelo Community Development has grown into a fully fledged organisation which offers a diversity of programmes and initiatives in the community, such as women's seminars, mental health awareness and suicide-prevention seminars.
They collect clothes and encourage people to donate shoes, toiletries and school uniforms which they distribute to children in orphanages and vulnerable households.
He said each morning they go to the local stadium and serve children breakfast before school.
Their initiative feeds more than 250 children but Madisha wants to feed at least 400 a day.
“Before we even reach 350, our resources are finished because the children come from six schools.
Madisha said without a regular job, any funding or sponsorship, they strive hard to raise money. Fortunately, people approach them and offer to help with funds.
“When we get those funds we will buy bread and ask for a receipt and send it back to the donors so they see that their money has gone to children.
“Even now, we sell chicken's feet, we sell atchar, we sell snacks, we have a popcorn machine — there is a high school where we sell each and every day, and part of the proceeds go towards the breakfasts and the organisation,” he said.
TimesLIVE
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