A 25-year-old woman from Ga-Mohokoni Village in Limpopo has used her R5,800 NSFAS allowance, meant for buying books for her law studies, to open a drop-in centre that provides daily meals to about 60 children from poor families.
Thuto Selomo runs the Thuto Selomo Organisation, a drop-in centre for children from poor backgrounds.
In an interview with IOL, Selomo said her difficult upbringing inspired her to help others facing similar circumstances.
“I grew up in a very poverty-stricken environment, in very poor conditions, where the next meal was a struggle. My parents were really struggling to put food on the table,” Selomo said.
She was raised by her mother and father alongside her two siblings.
Her father worked temporary jobs at construction companies, while her mother was unemployed.
“My mother struggled a lot… Sometimes we would even go to sleep after eating pap and milk because there was no other option. It was very bad,” she said.
Growing up in poverty, Selomo said she often imagined how she would help families facing the same struggles if she ever had the means.
“I always wished that if I had money, I would help those who were struggling like me to get food, especially kids, to help them with providing food,” she said.
She said she was also inspired by the work of the late Nigerian televangelist Temitope Balogun “TB” Joshua, whom she watched helping struggling people and distributing food parcels in different countries.
“I felt that one day I want to do what he was doing,” she said.
Selomo’s efforts initially took the form of community outreach, where she donated sanitary towels, school uniforms and shoes to people in need.
She said she opened the Thuto Selomo Organisation drop-in centre in 2025 and registered the organisation with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and the provincial Department of Social Development.
She said she noticed that many children in her community were struggling and needed more than occasional donations.
“I remember seeing a child going to school on a cold winter day wearing plastic sandals without socks. It really touched my heart,” she said.
“That’s where my calling began. It’s not only about donating, but also about bringing these children together under one roof because hunger is a serious problem in my community.”
The centre provides one meal a day to children from poor families from Monday to Friday, between 3pm and 5pm.
It also provides a safe place where children can play, stay off the streets, and receive help with their schoolwork, she said.
Selomo said the centre currently provides meals to about 60 children between the ages of one and 17 years old.
She runs the centre with her mother and one other person.
In a striking decision that helped her get the initiative off the ground, Selomo used part of her National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) book allowance to fund the project.
“This one is gonna blow your mind, but I started the initiative with my NSFAS book allowance to fund the initiative,” she told IOL.
“I used my book allowance, which was R5,800 and was meant to buy books for my studies. I used to get it around April or May. I would then sometimes buy them winter clothes.”
Selomo has been studying for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB degree) through the University of South Africa (Unisa) since 2019 and is expected to graduate in 2027.
She said she had been previously employed as an assistant teacher and used her income to continue funding the centre.
After getting married in October 2025, her husband also began contributing towards the centre’s expenses.
“My partner is helping with the money that comes from his job, and also with the donations that we are getting from other people,” she said.
Starting and running the centre has not been without challenges.
Selomo said the centre is registered with the Department of Social Development and the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
She said the community has welcomed the centre.
“The community has welcomed the centre because they can see how it is helping children from poor families by giving them food and a safe place to spend time,” she said.
She said many of the children face difficult circumstances, including parents with mental health problems, taking responsibility for younger siblings at an early age and not having school uniforms.
“Some come to the centre wearing the same clothes and sometimes without having bathed.”
Some said the support the centre receives from members of the public shows her that the centre is helping children who need it most.
“When people recognise our work on social media and come forward to donate, it shows us that the centre is making a difference in the lives of children who need help,” she said.
Her personal experiences continue to motivate her, even when funding is limited.
“It’s a calling,” she said. “I believe it’s a calling from God. He saw the kids suffering and used me to make a difference because I faced similar circumstances.”
“I believe the poverty I experienced growing up is what motivates me to help these children. Even when we do not receive donations, I do not feel like giving up because I believe this is my calling,” she said.
Selomo hopes to do more than just provide meals to the children in the future.
“I want to provide a home for these children, not just food. Many of them are young and come from families where their parents are struggling with mental health problems. I hope God gives me the strength to make my dream of housing and caring for them a reality in the coming years,” she said.
Her advice to young people who want to make a difference in their communities is to stop waiting and take the first step.
“People need something that motivates them to make a difference. If you have an idea or feel strongly about helping others, start now.”
“You do not have to wait until you have a lot of money. I started with my NSFAS book allowance, so my advice is simple – just start,” she said.
IOL News
Simon Majadibodu
iol.co.za
