Founder of the We Care organisation Palesa Letsoalo believes that even the smallest gestures can carry the biggest weight.

Her latest initiative is built on the idea that learners who feel loved, appreciated and seen are learners who want to go to school. Letsoalo is preparing to package and distribute items to learners across Alexandra, including hairclips for younger learners and stationery for older learners, all of which has already been sourced and is awaiting distribution.

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“The reason why I am doing that is to remind children how much we love, appreciate and see them,” Letsoalo said. “We are also encouraging them to stay in school.”

She believes the initiative can reignite learners’ enthusiasm for education and give them something to look forward to each morning. The idea, she explained, comes from a deeply personal place. “I am doing this because of my love for it. It comes from the bottom of my heart. Sometimes it pains me when other children are neat and with ponytails, while others feel less confident,” she said. “I am trying to boost their confidence, and show them that they are just like other children.”

The stationery and hairclip drive is the latest chapter in Letsoalo’s ongoing philanthropic work. On September 16, she donated vegetables to 60 residents in Alexandra. She said this formed part of her broader efforts to support community members through the changing seasons.

With spring now underway and temperatures rising, Letsoalo said the shift in weather brings its own health risks, particularly for those without access to proper nutrition or an active lifestyle. “We are trying to highlight the fact that we need to take care of our bodies. So, I wanted to give them something that would be good for their immune system. Nutrition is very important,” she said.

She added that she plans to continue the vegetable donations through October, after which she intends to introduce a new form of support for the community.

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Underpinning all of Letsoalo’s efforts is an awareness of the hardship many Alexandra residents face daily. She has made a point of focusing on households from disadvantaged backgrounds, families who often have little or nothing to eat.

While existing community programmes already provide food parcels to those in need, Letsoalo said her donations were designed to complement, not duplicate, this support, helping stretch limited resources further.

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