Young philanthropist aims to inspire her generation
Despite her circumstances, Owami Kgafane rises from poverty to bring hope to the needy.
Like a phoenix rises from the ashes, so has Dukathole Extension Nine resident Owami Kgafane.
Thirteen-year-old Owami has emerged from the ashes of her troubled past as a young philanthropist and is aiming to make a change in the lives of those effected by poverty, something she has seen all her life.
Growing up with an alcoholic mother changed the way she viewed the world and made her a fighter as she was faced with many traumatising encounters.
Due to her mother’s addiction, Owami and her little brother, Mongezi, once found themselves homeless, with little to no contact with any other family members who could come to their aid.
“One day, a few years ago, my mother and grandmother Florence were involved in a heated argument,” Owami recalled.
“As a result, my mom told my brother and I to go and pack our belongings as we were moving to a flat in the Germiston CBD.
“That couldn’t of been further from the truth.”
Instead of moving into a flat the three moved from house-to-house, friend-to-friend seeking shelter from the dark night.
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As dawn broke, Owami still had to prepare for school, and go about her day like any normal primary school-going child.
“My uncle, Trevor Kgafane, called us one day asking for our address so he could come for a visit.
“I had no idea what to say to him, because there was no address to give him. My mother ordered me to hang up immediately and never talk to him again.”
Owami recalls one dreadful night when her and Mongezi shared her mother’s jersey in hopes of getting some relief from the cold, not knowing where they would sleep.
“When I think about that night, I’m motivated to change the lives of those around me, hoping they do not end up where my family and I once were,” she said.
After a month of being homeless, Owami finally made contact with her grandmother, relayed everything that had been happening and revealed the truth about their living conditions.
Her grandmother told her to come back home.
Inspired by her own life to bring hope to others, she launched WaMi Foundation on January 19.
The non-profit-organisation collects clothes and donates them to the needy, and has recently added youth development and women empowerment programmes to uplift the hopeless.
“Our tagline is ‘Aspire to inspire before you expire’ and those are the words I live by, because even when my mother was struggling to make ends meet I was always hopeful that something good would happen,” said Owami.
“I have been told that I am a good listener and easy to talk to, and believe it is true as young girls, my age and younger, have approached me and shared their rape stories with me and have asked me for help.
“From these stories I was inspired to start the women empowerment programme in my NPO.
One of Owami’s greatest regrets is that she didn’t get to tell her mom how much she loved her, in spite of everything the family went through.
“When she died in December I was heartbroken and thought I might lose my grandmother as well after her health took a turn for the worst.
“Yes my mom drank a lot and we found ourselves in hopeless ditches because of that, but she was still my mom and I believe she tried the best way she knew how, to provide for us.”
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WaMi Foundation recently made their first clothing donation to learners at Ekurhuleni Primary School, in Dukhathole, during the #MakeTheKidsHappyFestival.
“We are now onto our next project, which aims to collect 500 packs of sanitary pads to donate to the same school,” said Owami.
“We want to motivate young people to help those who cannot help themselves and do so in a genuine way.”
Owami wishes to reconcile her troubling past by doing good deeds in her community, and help save lives where she can.
She seeks counsel from her aunt and mentor, Nondumiso Twala, who works as a social worker,.
“I want to become a social worker when I grow up and hope to get the department of social development and related organisations involved in my future projects.
“If my story can help anyone, I want to be the one to tell it.”
To donate clothes and sanitary towels to WaMi Foundation or for enquiries, contact Trevor on 073 013 9899.
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