Still etched in his mind is the moment when he provided foodstuff to an elderly woman in Tshiame 2 known as Khalanyoni near Harrismith in the Free State who had been without food for three weeks.
Collen Tshediso Charlie is on a mission to offer a helping a hand and bring a smile to many destitute families in Harrismith and the whole area of Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality in the Free State Province.
“The old lady was being mistreated by her son. A week later after our donations of food and other basic necessities, she passed away. I will never forget the day we presented her with our contributions. She held our hands tightly and blessed us,” said Charlie.
This is but one of many families that Charlie has reached out with a helping a hand and his deeds of a good Samaritan.
Charlie received accolades for his work when his organisation won an award for the best non-profit organisation during the Community Development Awards held in Qwaqwa last week.
Struck by the gravity of poverty in his own locality, Charlie could not just fold his arm and watch his community sink in the abyss of hopelessness. He started Masbonisaneni Sonke Project in 2018 in Harrismith.
Since then his project has played a pivotal role in providing food, job creation opportunities, school uniforms, school shoes, counselling and assisting youth struggling with drugs.
“I have been driven by the pain of seeing people suffering. It is hard to bear. I have seen most of these sufferings in Intabazwe, Makholokoeng and Khalanyoni just on the doorstep of Harrismith town. It is heartbreaking.
“We have also been to several schools in the Maluti-a-Phofung where we assisted learners with shoes and uniforms,” said an emotional Charlie.
Among other things that his organisation has achieved, Charlie mentioned the time when they helped a school learner, who had been without shoes for a long time, and also an elderly lady who had never had an identity document her whole life.
He said the vision of his organisation is “helping to change more lives for the better.”
He also mentioned how his organisation also helped rehabilitate two drug addicts, who are now completely out of drugs.
Masbonisaneni receives no funding. It survives through the help of businesses and individuals in Maluti-a-Phofung.
“We will be more than happy to welcome a good Samaritan in the form of funding. We cannot wait! In fact we desperately need funding,” emphasised Charlie.
As 2022 come to a close, his focus is already on back-to-school period in January next year.
“Our hope, desire and dream is to help 50 learners with school shoes at the time when schools reopens next year,” he concluded.
