While many think of themselves on their birthday, Tracy-Lee Kaleb who recently turned 24 decided to dedicate her special day to the less fortunate.
On 4 September, her and her family committed themselves to visiting the women of the shelter MES Impilo in Fairview, Johannesburg. Accompanied by her parents Jennifer and Peter Kaleb and aunt Zarina Allow, they took with them packages filled with sanitary and hygiene products to put a smiles on the faces of the shelter’s residents.
The birthday girl said the Covid-19 lockdown had affected her family financially which led her to wondering how those without any financial or support structures could have coped. “I couldn’t imagine how those who can’t afford the basic necessities were living, so I decided to not use my birthday money on silly things but rather help out such people,” she added.
MES Impilo is a shelter that provides women who have TB or HIV, live on the street and have very few options to access health and social services. The shelter currently accommodates 57 adults where they are fed three times a day and given a place where they can bathe, keep busy and sleep.
With very little funding coming in, the shelter is reliant on private donations and gifts, something Kaleb is encouraging the public to assist with. “Something that’s small to you might make a big difference to somebody else. We take things like [sanitary] pads and soap for granted but for someone else who doesn’t have such, it’s the exact opposite.”
Without laying a hand on Kaleb or breaking Covid-19 safety protocols, the women of MES Impilo managed to touch her by singing happy birthday to her. “I was overwhelmed by the feeling of being able to give back. I believe God put me in this position to help them.”
Those interested in helping out MES Impilo can contact them on engage@mes.org.za, 011 725 6531, 066 371 5787, https://mes.org.za/
