Meet Jacob Madisha, a Community Leader Determined to Fight Hunger and Poverty by Feeding & Clothing SA Youth
- Briefly News spoke to passionate community leader Jacob Madisha from Atteridgeville West in Pretoria
- The 27-year-old shared his difficult upbringing due to poverty which inspired him to do more for children in need
- He is the founder of Ponelopelo Community Development, which among other projects, run a free breakfast initiative
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No child is born and writes a plan to be poor. This is the powerful sentiment of Jacob Madisha, a community leader in Atteridgeville West in Pretoria who is putting underprivileged youth first.
The 27-year-old started a free breakfast initiative to help feed needy school children in 2021 as part of his non-profit organisation Ponelopelo Community Development.
Source: Facebook
How it all started
The birth of the breakfast initiative was something that was always close to his heart as he had first-hand experience of having a tough upbringing. He had no school uniform or stationery and would often go to school hungry as a child. This not only made him a laughing stock among his peers but also posed a significant challenge as a famished Jacob couldn’t concentrate in class.
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His unkind childhood inspired him to do more for the children in his community. Moved to make a difference years later, he and a group of friends endeavoured to host soup kitchens and clothing distributions to the needy.
Jacob and his team started doing an after-school feeding initiative, but it wasn’t enough to make an impactful difference.
“That's when I decided that to fill the void and make a difference in children’s lives we should start serving free breakfast for unprivileged school learners and children because that is the only thing that can give them energy, sustain their concentration, focus and motivate them to participate in class.”
The 5am breakfast club
After identifying the most destitute in the community, he proceeded with the vision. A typical day starts in the early hours of the morning.
“We do our breakfast initiative is at an informal settlement in an open sports ground where many children from different primary and high schools gather with their parents to wait for their school buses to come to collect and take them to schools from as early as 05:45am.”
The Ponelopelo Community Development also provides school shoes and uniform for children in need.
Source: Facebook
The passion behind the calling
The philanthropist said that the pain of being born into a poor family just to be treated unjustly and cruelly by society has destroyed many lives.
From a young age I aspired to have someone to believe in me, to be there for me, to understand that I'm smart in my own way and that if I'm given a chance I can to great things. I never found that person up until I became that person and decided that I'll be that soul to other people that are faced with the same circumstances I was born into.
Funding
He gets money to run the breakfast project from selling chicken feet, snacks, sweets, and ice blocks at flea markets to raise capital and fund the organisation.
“Sometimes we receive donations from other members of the community, random individuals as well as many strangers who learned of our work on social media. My mother also helps where she can financially to help sustain and fund our projects. We don't have funding or sponsorships.”
The team
Jacob has a team of people committed to the great cause under his leadership.
“Katlego Thobejane, Tebogo Matjile, Tshepiso Maleka, Junior Masheba, Mogapi Lesufi, Hlalefang Chauke, Hlalefang Chauke, Rebecca Madisha and Lebogang Mohale. They all contribute excessively in their different ways and abilities to make sure we make things happen.”
The challenges
Lacking enough supplies and resources to make sure everyone who asks for help gets it is the biggest challenge.
“Sometimes we run out of food during our feeding initiatives and it's painful to see someone hungry going back home or to school without receiving anything.
Lack of transportation is also another challenge as Jacob often needs to deliver other essentials such as clothes to outlying areas far from his township.
What he loves most about what he does
Through his community work, the 27-year-old has found meaning and purpose in life.
“What I love most about what I do is the fulfillment, growth, and empowerment it brings to the people I help and those around me.
The organisation has helped me sharpen my character to be strong, wise and has made me a kind person. Those things alone are treasures that are priceless to me, not material things that one can buy or replace.”
Looking into the future
The organisation’s long-term goal is to grow and feed more people.
“Our most significant long-term goal is that it gets to live for generations to come and continues to spread even when I'm dead.
That it creates jobs, opportunities, make sure children get inspired to follow their dreams and be who they want to be without any fear or limitations.”
Source: Facebook
His hope for Mzansi youth
Jacob told Briefly News that his hope for South African youth is to always believe in their dreams, regardless of how and what other people might say. He shared that they must chase their goals because the dreams and goals people call stupid today might be the dreams and goals that change the lives of people and those around them tomorrow.
“Most importantly to have goals that have value, that will continue to live and change lives even when they have passed on. To have goals that will put food on the table of their families and raise their children generation after generation.
"To live for the long term and not for the short term, to understand that life is not only the weekend. That it's okay to not have a certain outfit, it's okay to miss a certain event. It's okay to struggle for now so you can be a success for the future,” said.
Generous locals feed community
In another story, Briefly News previously reported that Mzansi is known for having amazing people who help others. The Brothers For Life Campaign has started an initiative to help those in need by cooking food for the hungry.
They have set up a Facebook page that explains what they hoped to achieve:
"Our mission is to create a drug-free generation, involving families and communities to power change and flourish in a drug-free environment."
They took to the streets on Friday, 23 April and according to them, it was a huge success. Earlier in the week, they took to the Facebook group #ImStaying to share what they are doing to help people.
Source: Briefly News
