Changing lives with more than R500,000 on Good Morning Angels
On Wednesday, Good Morning Angels and LottoStar changed the lives of even more people by donating more than R500,000 to those in need.
2024 has proven to be a challenge for most families. Are we giving up? No way! Instead, we bring the Angels together to bring hope, spread kindness and change lives for good.
Good Morning Angels teamed up with our friends at LottoStar to reach out to families in desperate need by distributing the remaining R561,000 from last year’s Summer of Millions funds raised for Good Morning Angels.
Maryna van Deventer from Rustenburg
41-year-old Maryna van Deventer from Rustenburg is the breadwinner of her household. She's worked at the same pharmacy for the past 16 years. She is dedicated to her job and has qualified as a Basic Pharmacy Assistant. She wants to do the advanced course next. Like so many families, the past few years have been a financial challenge. Her husband is unemployed, he has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and they lost their car. Maryna walks her 15-year-old daughter to school every morning and then she walks to work. She’s managed to keep the roof over their heads and to cover their basic needs, but she cannot afford medical aid.
Last year, Maryna started struggling with her eyesight. She went for tests at the local state hospital in December and it was confirmed that she had astigmatism and cataracts on both eyes. The treatment is easy: remove the cataracts, however the state hospital does not have the facilities to do the procedure and Maryna has no choice but to go to a private facility. At R31 500 per eye, Maryna simply cannot afford this, putting her ability to do her job and care for her family at risk. That’s why a colleague wrote to Good Morning Angels on behalf of Maryna.
ANGEL: Maria Pavli, representing LottoStar and the Summer of Millions funds
SPONSORING: From the LottoStar Summer of Millions funds raised for Good Morning Angels, an amount of R63,000 will go towards Maryna's life-changing eye operations, to enable her to thrive and care for her family.
Prudence Mahlangu and Mathilda from the Lesedi self Help Association in Soshanguve
Prudence Mahlangu from Soshanguve is a 39-year old single mother of two daughters: 10-year old Faith, her biological child and 4-year old Marcia, her cousin’s orphaned daughter.
Marcia was born on 22 weeks via emergency C-section, as her mom, Mpho had complications. Mpho died 9 days after Marcia was born and Prudence stepped in as her foster mom, as no one else in the family had the capacity to take care of her. Soon after her birth, it was confirmed that Marcia had Cerebral Palsy. Prudence has raised and cared for Marcia as her own along with Faith, while also looking after both her parents and Mpho, her deceased cousin’s two brothers.
Prudence is a teacher at a High School in Soshanguve. She juggles all the financial responsibilities as the only breadwinner of her extended family and cannot keep up. Her dad, who is retired, sells peanuts and fruit next to the road to contribute - but the rest is on Prudence.
The mounting financial burden, as Marcia’s needs increase, have left Prudence in a spiral of debt that she simply cannot face on her own anymore. She’s lost her home, her car is due to be repossessed, her daughter’s school fees are behind and she struggles to meet the daily essentials.
Prudence has found the Lesedi Self Help Association in Soshanguve, to assist with care for Marcia, as she is fully dependent and non-verbal and needs constant care during the day. Lesedi has 20 children in their care - besides Marcia, the others are all non-verbal orphans and wards of the state. Prudence says Mathilda from Lesedi knows she cannot afford to pay, but still helps out. She says the centre needs a lot of help as they are not funded by the state - other than the SASSA grants for the children placed in their care.
Despite her own substantial challenges, Prudence wrote to Good Morning Angels asking for assistance for Lesedi Self Help Association, where she and Marcia have found help amid a sea of uncertainty.
ANGEL: Maria Pavli, representing Lottostar and the Summer of Millions funds
SPONSORING: From the LottoStar Summer of Millions funds raised for Good Morning Angels, an amount of R100,000 will go to Prudence to help her with some of her big financial obstacles, to enable her to pay her arrears for her car and school and to assist with Marcia’s medical and other needs. But, that is not all, another R100 000 will go towards the Lesedi Self Help Association in Soshanguve to help them care for Marcia and the other 20 children in their care, with similar needs.
Vanessa Radyn and Cindy van der Watt on behalf of Siyabonga Children's Home in Germiston
In November 2023 all Non-profit organisations in Gauteng were asked by the authorities to re-submit applications for funding in 2024 - it is now April and many report that they have not received any state funding so for this year.
This has left homes like Siyabonga Children’s Home in Germiston in dire straits. They are currently looking after 41 children ranging from ages between 18months to 18 years. Some of these children have lived in Siyabonga their entire lives - it is the only home they know. Siyabonga provides a safe homely space – education at local schools and a family environment for the children. All these kids come from abused/abandoned and destitute backgrounds.
Siyabonga has taken drastic measures to avoid closing down - like other homes in the area. They retrench their much valued social worker as well as some cleaning staff. The balance of the staff have taken a 60% salary cut in order to survive.
They have started a debit order pledge-campaign of R 150 per month - with 1500 debit-orders, they will be self-sustainable and can re-employ the retrenched staff.
ANGEL: Maria Pavli, representing Lottostar and the Summer of Millions funds
SPONSORING: From the fabulous LottoStar Summer of Millions funds raised for Good Morning Angels, an amount of R148,000 will go to Siyabonga Children's Home to help ease the financial burden they are experiencing to properly look after the 41 children in their care.
Nadine Weideman, mom of 16-year-old Ruan Weideman
16-year old Ruan Weideman from Tzaneen, has a twin-brother and older brother. Their mom, Nadine has raised them on her own after their dad sadly died seven years ago. Despite this loss and the challenges, Nadine and her sons have managed to build a life, where they can thrive.
At the end of last year, Ruan started complaining of a problem with his teeth … in January he was diagnosed with an Odontogenic Myxoma: a fast growing tumour in his jaw. The tumour is not cancerous, but it is growing at an alarming pace. The family does not have a medical aid, so Nadine has consulted at various state and private institutions - as the tumour has now grown into Ruan’s pallet and nose - threatening his one eye and growing towards his brain.
The only solution is a specialised operation at a hospital in Centurion - which has been scheduled for early May. He would also require reconstructive facial surgery after the tumour as been removed and the scars have healed.
This is an extremely costly road to recovery - so Nadine’s employer, Ruan’s school and the greater Tzaneen community have been hard at work to raise funds for this to happen.
The tumour is life threatening but curable and the community of Tzaneen are doing all on their ability to make this happen. Many of them have written to Good Morning Angels to help this mother save her son.
ANGEL: Maria Pavli, representing Lottostar and the Summer of Millions funds
SPONSORING: From the fabulous LottoStar Summer of Millions funds raised for Good Morning Angels, an amount of R 150 000 will go towards Ruan’s substantial medical bills, to save his life.
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