Making change, feeding the needy

While she may not have a lot to her name, seeing children go to school on an empty stomach, or an adult going to bed without food in their stomach was enough to get Thandeka Duma to use the little that she has to make a difference.

Duma, 44, the founder and chairperson of the Young Stars Nutrition and Development Centre is from Illovo. She is this week’s Unsung Hero.

Her non-profit organisation was registered in 2017 and operates within Illovo and caters for people who are less fortunate.

Duma, alongside a team of volunteers cooks porridge every morning to feed hungry children in the community. During the day, they prepare sandwiches to give to children when they return from school.

The organisation also donates vegetables and food hampers to the elderly who are in need.

Duma prepares all the meals from her kitchen at home.

She said that she was inspired to start the organisation when she saw how many people in her community lived in poverty and were desperate for food.

“I don’t (like) the idea of children going to school on an empty stomach so I started making sandwiches for them every morning. I was even more motivated when a teacher told me that the pupils were showing improvement in their work at school since I began feeding them.

“I want to be able to expand and assist more people. I do not believe that any human being should go hungry, for any reason. I do not have much but I believe in making a difference wherever I can,” said Duma.

The work that she does was possible because of sponsorships.

“We are not funded by the government. We are able to carry out this mission through the generous sponsorship of individuals and some organisations,” she said.

One of the challenges Duma has is transport.

“If there isn’t a sponsorship and I am unable to get to a venue on time, then I do not get the food,” she said.

But she tries by all means to make a plan because she knows the that people rely on her for food.

Duma described her upbringing as a difficult one.

“I had a very rough upbringing as we were not financially well-off. I spent most of my childhood going door-to-door to sell tomatoes, but thanks to God’s grace, we managed,” she said.

Duma is also an entrepreneur and makes a living from selling cakes and running a catering company.

“I love to make a change. Being able to make a change in another person’s life is very fulfilling for me.

“In the future, I see the organisation being able to help many more people because I know there is a great need for it,” she said.