Time to Care Trust’s Serkan Ergul is on a journey to make a difference

He may be soft-spoken but, for Serkan Ergul, no crisis is insurmountable.

From distributing food to the poorest of the poor in an informal settlement near Marlboro, north of Johannesburg, to distributing blankets to needy communities in the West Rand’s Westbury, Ergul thrives in times of an emergency.

First to visit and take up the plight of Sarah Hlongwane – a destitute woman living with 12 children in a makeshift one-room structure in a heavily congested part of the Maphonyane informal settlement near Marlboro Gardens, north of Joburg – Ergul, director of non-profit organisation Time to Care Trust (TTC), remarks: “Something has to be done.

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“This is extremely moving to see a terrible reality of how a single mother and grandmother is struggling to survive.

“This situation really touched my heart and gave me a renewed feeling of purpose and resolve.”

Fighting the poverty problem

Hlongwane’s plight – a microcosm of the 55.5% of the South African population living in poverty, representing the country’s high inequality levels – is what Ergul grapples with on a daily basis.

Reflecting on some anecdotes on people he has helped in times of need, Ergul says: “There was a woman from Tembisa who desperately needed groceries because there was no food at home.

“We bought her groceries and baking utensils for her baking – to start a small business.

“Out of joy, she just cried and this touched my heart.”

When another woman from East Rand’s Daveyton township wanted to start her own business, TTC paid for her baking classes – propelling her to become a fully fledged entrepreneur.

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“There was also an auntie running an old age home near Vosloorus township who prayed at night for help to get water.

“The home ran out of water. We dispatched a TTC technician to the area to resolve her water problems,” says Ergul.

Dedicated to take up the plight of the poor and uplifting communities, TTC has been involved in initiatives which have included skills development, feeding schemes, agricultural projects, fostering entrepreneurship – creating a lasting impact on the needy.

“If we can daily be part of the lives of people in need – doing our bit to provide a solution – imagine how the world would look today?”

TTC is also part of the Horizon Education Trust schools in the country, which have a 100% matric pass rate.

“Behind our broad initiative to make a difference in the lives of our people, we have dedicated teachers, parents and housewives, ready to share their skills with communities,” he says.

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“In this journey to make a difference in others, we have also been working with partners in Durban, Gqeberha, Cape Town and Joburg.

“If you combine everyone, you can see that we have a big number of volunteers.”

When Muslims throughout the world celebrate Eid Mubarak – marking the end of Ramadan – Ergul forms part of a team of volunteers converging at the Nizamiye Mosque in Midrand to help in the distribution of meat destined to poor communities.

“Thousands of meat bags are distributed to schools and needy communities,” he says.

Reflecting on Madiba

One of Ergul’s heroes is world-renowned statesman Nelson Mandela.

“Nelson Mandela Day offers the world an opportunity to pay our respect to a great and selfless man we have been blessed with.

“It is also an opportunity to tell our children about the importance of Madiba’s teachings in our lives and how he dedicated his life to the democracy we today enjoy in South Africa,” he says.

“To honour Mandela, we mobilise our youth and distribute sandwiches and food parcels to old age homes.

“We specifically take young people along, to appreciate old people and gain from their teachings.”

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Choosing South Africa

Born in Türkiye, Ergul left the country at the age of 17.

“I attended university in Kazakhstan and after graduating I came to South Africa in 2002 and joined Horizon High School to teach mathematics, also serving as a dormitory master.

“Having lived in South Africa for 22 years, I regard my role in education as one of my key moments in life,” he says.

“At school, I lived and imparted skills to children from Soweto and other townships.”

On his third year in the country, Ergul brought his wife to SA from Türkiye.

“My kids were born in South Africa and grew up here. I don’t want them to be separated from other children.”