'Give help where it counts,' says Skhumba on celebrities doing purposeful charity

20 May 2017 - 14:00 By Chrizelda Kekana
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Skhumba thinks People's Bae is singing the struggle songs 'too nicely'
Skhumba thinks People's Bae is singing the struggle songs 'too nicely'
Image: Via Instagram

Comedian Skhumba is one of the many South African celebrities that have charity drives to give back to their communities. He opened up about the reason he choose to focus on giving wheelchairs.

A township boy at heart, Skhumba has worked hard to make something of himself, using his talent to make people laugh.

The comedian told TshisaLIVE that he didn't always have "things" to give away, but when he realised he was able to, he didn't want it to "lack purpose".

"When I finally got to a point in my life where I was able to offer a helping hand, I didn't just want to help for the sake of it. I needed my help to affect change and my wheelchair drive really does that. One person at a time," he said.

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Skhumba said growing up Tembisa, there are a lot of places he could have chosen to help, but helping the disabled and elderly seemed like a path less travelled.

"I could have joined the sanitary towels movement or bursaries. They are important but there are already a lot of people helping there. A wheelchair cost a minimum of R4,200 and where I come from, that is a lot of money," he said.

Skhumba told TshisaLIVE that he has a cousin who was crippled after he was shot and he also knew a lot of elderly people who struggled to move around.

He remembered a story of a young girl who had been "indoors" for over three years because it was difficult to move around without help.

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"I know a lot of people who are struggling. I remember when I started there was a girl who received a wheelchair and for the first time in over three years was able to move around as she wished. The sister wrote me a Facebook post saying, 'my sister is busking in the sun and she is the happiest we have seen her, thanks to you,'" he said.

He reasons that comedy will always be his first love and priority because for him it goes beyond just making people laugh.

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