Cape Town – Seeing a little girl walk to school wearing a dishevelled uniform
tugged at the heartstrings of third-year Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT ) student Olwethu Maqungo, 20, who has become a big sister to the pupil and at least 11 other children.
Maqungo, from Langa, said she saw the little girl strolling to school early one morning.
“As I was waiting for her to come closer I noticed she wasn't well dressed.
Her shirt wasn't on properly, her skirt wasn't ironed and her shoes were broken.
She said she was walking slowly because she was scared the teacher would shout at her as she didn't have her books covered and had no stationery.
“It was heartbreaking. I fixed her uniform, put her on my back and walked her to school.”
Maqungo said she could not stop there in helping the girl.
“It turned out the little angel lives with her grandmother, and her grandmother is not well.
“So I went and helped to cover her books and got all the things on her stationery list.
“Then before going to
campus, I went and bathed her and her granny and I took them to the Athlone Sassa office, as their grant money wasn't coming in, to sort that out.”
Maqungo has not stopped with helping one family and now assists at least 11 other children with school uniforms and stationery.
“I was doing this to help her look like others and not feel small because she can't afford it.
“Within this journey I found myself a new family, and she is like my little sister, and I make sure that I spend the spare time I have with them.”
Maqungo said she helped the children with her pocket money and money she made from her small business, AM Glitz 'n Glam.
“I want to encourage my community to help one another. I feel we should help each other instead of making fun of one another and I hope to inspire my community to help others.
"Take 30 minutes each week to do something to encourage a needy person,” Maqungo said, adding that donations of necessities like toilet paper, used school clothes and stationery were welcome.
She can be contacted on WhatsApp: 084 391 5869.