Twala braces rain to help the needy

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Alex’s foremost philanthropist braved a drizzling morning of 20 November to do what he knows best, helping poor children.

Linda Twala’s mantra is for everyone to extend a helping hand to disadvantaged children and others struggling with poverty, not of their making.

“It pains me to see children in this condition, yet we know and expect them to inherit and make the country prosperous while we deny them the opportunity by turning a blind eye,” Twala said, in reference to about 50 children at early childhood development phase and others in primary school level as well as their parents who braved the inclement weather to receive exercise books, pencils, crayons balls and rulers donated by NPO Gift of the Givers and MTN at one of Alex’s informal settlements across Vincent Tshabalala Road.

He added that the donation was part of a reading club he formed at Phuthadichaba Community Centre on 17th Avenue and his other base on 2nd Avenue where hundreds of children also receive educational, IT, nutrition, psychosocial and motivational support. This, in addition, to providing stimulation support to grannies who are at risk when they remain alone at home when their offspring are either at school or at work.

Twala was accompanied by local volunteers of government’s Community Works Programme who came to clean the area. “All they [the children] need is an enabling and healthy environment to prevent them from getting sick, be bubbly every day and attend school in order to achieve what we all expect of them.

“It won’t be possible in this filth if, together with government, citizens do not contribute the little they can do to meet them halfway,” Twala said in reference to the stench from drenched surroundings and bucket latrines used by the beneficiaries’ families.