An NPO started by a Florida-based ward committee member is said to be the new kid on the block which aims to bring about real change within the community.
SiyatholaSizo is an NPO founded by Raquel Fortune who is a Ward 70 committee member, and was birthed as a passion project in 2022 to uplift the community. The NPO aims to alleviate poverty, help develop skills with various projects, get children off the streets and uplift disadvantaged people within the community, while also focusing on women empowerment through entrepreneurship and said that they aim to cultivate sustainability within this demographic.
“I have always had a passion for the people and a passion for helping. Since I moved into the community in 1998, I have always been working with my community, assisting them and assisting disadvantaged people in ways that I can, but this was always done out of my own pocket and through donations.”
The founder has worked for Vodacom for about 14 years where she said that she had developed the necessary skills needed for community work.
“I did a mentorship with the Vodacom Foundation and qualified for a membership where I developed the core skills needed to do community outreach programmes and gathered an understanding of community needs,” she said.
“We used to go to various children’s homes, elderly facilities and hospitals as Vodacom had a sponsored ward in Baragwanath, so we used to go there to give them clothing and food. I’ve been doing this for a good number of years so I have a lot of experience in dealing with people, children, the aged, misfortunate, and the underprivileged,” she continued.
The NPO has joined forces with ATI Foundation, a privately funded entity under the leadership of Rupert September, whose mandate is similar to that of Siyathola and Raquel said that what the foundation does in and around Florida Lake is a really good thing.
While they have not collaborated on any projects yet, they are in talks about a food parcel programme which is in the pipeline and has identified beneficiaries for the programme.
“I felt that what they [ATI Foundation] are doing around the Florida Lake; uplifting the lake, bringing funds into the ward and bringing back the social aspect of our ward, SiyatholaSizo’s mandate is similar. Hence I felt what ATI brings to Ward 70 is good,” Raquel said.
Raquel said that she does not mind getting down and dirty for her community – whether it’s assisting with a burst water pipe, a broken streetlight, lost dogs wandering the streets or organising events for children.
Raquel urges anyone willing to help her organisation to get in touch with her at raquelfortune@icloud.com.
