The new season of Please Step In stirred up a lot of emotions last night as Angie Diale stepped in to help Theresia who has had to resort to prostituting to make ends meet for her family.
Theresia is a 21-year-old Human Resources student from Turfloop in Limpopo, who wrote to the show seeking advice and intervention.
Her unemployed mother has six children and they are all dependent on the child grants.
These unpleasant conditions forced the young woman into taking the drastic step of selling her body to pay for their food and accommodation.
The show sparked a heated debate on Twitter as viewers questioned the mother’s parenting skills, especially after Theresia revealed that her stepfather had raped her when she was 15.
According to Theresia, her mother urged her to drop the charges as the perpetrator was the "only breadwinner”.
The fact that 😈 selfish parents/guardians encourage children to drop rape cases makes me very angry, deep inside🙅 #PleaseStepIn
— Nthabi (@Armo_mercy) July 12, 2017
The show seemed to have sparked a positive reaction, with many generous Tweeps offering to help Theresia.
Tonight's episode is so heartbreaking & it's sad that so many young women are in this situation😢😢 #PleaseStepIn pic.twitter.com/EMZ97klshk
— RaisedInAfrica (@paballo_patsa) July 11, 2017
Theresia smiles and speaks lively just to conceal the actual pain. I am so torn by the episode I cant even work. #PleaseStepIn #BlackBodies pic.twitter.com/FOlpohoTbq
— Mmamotsisi (@Morodi_) July 12, 2017
@MbalulaFikile #PleaseStepIn that man must found and charged.
— #PayBackTheLand (@neville_molefe) July 12, 2017
Is #PleaseStepIn helping this families after hearing their stories or its just another story for S.A entertainment? This is sad pic.twitter.com/dhaJGtgXuT
— Erence_Makwela (@Prof_Erence) July 12, 2017
We need to have more shows like Step In on our TV's.. esp on Sundays, prime time.. Shows that focus on serious social issues #PleaseStepIn
— Nomalanga (@ElleLiraGobeni) July 12, 2017
God if I'm ever ungrateful, please forgive me. #PleaseStepIn pic.twitter.com/ZhL1CsgYJS
— IG: Tshego_Lola (@Tshego_lola) July 11, 2017
Watching shows like this make me realise how fortunate I am. People are living hard out there 😭😭😭😭😭😭 #PleaseStepIn pic.twitter.com/Vp6FwMTOtx
— Glam (@Vuyo_Ngcemu) July 11, 2017
#PleaseStepIn Stories like this make me appreciate the years my mother spent selling amagwinya & plates to put my siblings & I in school. 😳
— Zanele Shabangu (@I_am_Zanele) July 11, 2017
First episode but I've had it already. This is too much #PleaseStepIn pic.twitter.com/yKiBBgorWg
— X-Xavier (@xolanixzwane) July 11, 2017
Mam' Angie is not accepting any limp-handed answers from Theresia's mother. #PleaseStepIn pic.twitter.com/PMwQo7TsqT
— Mzansi Magic (@Mzansimagic) July 11, 2017
I feel like
— Nobuhle Mahlangu (@MahlanguBubu) July 12, 2017
No but this woman, so she had to have kids thinking the man will marry her aowa #PleaseStepIn
— The Chosen One (@hunadi_mpho) July 11, 2017
@Mzansimagic can you assist us , some of us are looking for Theresia . We want go help #PleaseStepIn
— TheRealJ💕 (@jeany0509) July 12, 2017
Parenting. Poverty. Prostitution. Pressure. #PleaseStepIn
— Sbu Mpungose (@SbuMpungose) July 11, 2017
Wow Theresia just replied to my inbox 🙆🏼💃🏻Found her!!!! #PleaseStepIn
— Nelly Mncube (@NellyMncube) July 12, 2017
IOL