Twenty-nine-year-old Dumisani Tshabalala from Zandspruit is a living example of the definition of the phrase ‘charity begins at home’.
This selfless individual had the choice of starting his non-profit organisation anywhere in the country, but decided to start it at home because he believes that’s where most people would like to see change first.
Dumisani founded and chairs the Five Tiger Foundation, which began from a concept that he and his partner came up with. Their idea, which was supported by their associates, is aimed at breaching the gap caused by poverty in their community.
“My partner, who works with different families in the community, began to identify a need to help various families that are in need of various necessities such as groceries. The initiative started as a contribution from family and friends who contributed an amount of R50 to help out,” he explained.
The organisation is named Five Tiger, which is a colloquial term for a R50 note, with the aim of receiving a minimum of R50 from a donor.
These contributions have served a great purpose, especially on Mandela Day, when they were able to put smiles on the faces of numerous school-going girls by donating sanitary pads to them, just a month after they started operating.
Although there is still a need to reach out to other struggling areas, Dumisani said that for now, he still aims to address the situation in the area he comes from. “Currently our focus area is still Zandspruit, simply because our foundation is still new and doesn’t have adequate resources, but we do receive calls from other areas that look to be touched by our foundation,” he said.
He added that they are looking to remodel their funding approach by seeking funding from businesses. “So far the funding model is still fairly dependent on the members who contribute on a monthly basis; however, we are exploring other options by approaching companies in order to introduce more programmes such as events to strengthen the organisation’s offerings,” he explained.
With Christmas just around the corner, Dumisani said he plans to host a party for the little ones in the area; however, for his idea to come to fruition, he needs lots more of those R50 notes from the public.
“The plan is to host a Christmas party and invite the local children to come out and celebrate with us. We want to give donations and presents to them, just to wish them a joyous Christmas,” he explained.
To reach out to the organisation, contact Dumisani Tshabalala on 071 285 5609.
