What began as one woman’s determination to escape years of abuse has grown into a lifeline for hundreds of vulnerable people across Centurion.

In 2021, Antoinette Maluleke and her two daughters founded the Basadi Ba Moshito (BBM) Foundation in Lyttelton, an organisation dedicated to empowering women, men, young people, and children through skills development, mentorship, and community support.

Today, the foundation is changing lives across the community, but its mission came from Maluleke’s own fight to reclaim hers. For almost 10 years, she endured domestic abuse in a relationship that left her feeling isolated, trapped and without hope.

With no family support and completely dependent on her abuser to provide for her and her children, leaving seemed impossible.
However, everything changed after surviving an attack that nearly claimed her life.

“I realised that I needed to leave to live,” Maluleke recalled.

Seeking refuge with friends, she slowly began rebuilding her life and restored something she had lost long before: belief in herself.

“I discovered that I was capable. My confidence and dignity were restored.”

As she regained her confidence, she realised that many other women like her had come to believe the lies spoken over them. Maluleke’s journey soon became the blueprint for the foundation’s work.

As the foundation grew, she introduced Women Unleashed in 2022, a programme designed to help women rebuild their confidence, discover their potential, and gain the practical skills needed to become independent.

The programme has since helped women secure employment, start businesses and regain the confidence to rebuild their lives.

When more people walked through the organisation’s doors, it became clear that the challenges facing the community extended far beyond women alone.

Those needs led the foundation into a new chapter. In 2024, the organisation expanded its reach with the introduction of the Bold Men Skills Programme, Youth Unleashed, and Bible Blossoms, ensuring that men, young people, and children could also access opportunities for growth, healing, and development.

The Bold Men Skills Programme equips unemployed men with practical trade skills, workplace readiness, entrepreneurship support, financial literacy, and personal development while providing mentorship and a safe environment.

Youth Unleashed focuses on preparing young people for the workplace through career guidance, interview preparation, communication, leadership, and workplace readiness. Bible Blossoms introduces children to biblical values through interactive learning, games, and creative activities designed to build confidence and character.

Beyond these programmes, the BBM Foundation has grown into a community hub that hosts leadership workshops, children’s holiday programmes, food relief initiatives, family events and community markets. Together, these initiatives support hundreds of people each year.

The foundation’s work has also attracted support from organisations that share its vision of empowering vulnerable communities.

In June, the foundation partnered with LG South Africa after the organisation’s Bold Men Skills Programme was featured as part of the company’s Make Life Good initiative.

Recognising the programme’s potential to equip unemployed men with practical and digital skills, LG upgraded the foundation’s media room, transforming it into a more effective learning environment.

Pennileigh Naidu, Head of Corporate Marketing and Public Relations at LG South Africa, said the company saw an opportunity to strengthen a programme that helps men build confidence, develop new skills and improve their employment prospects.

Naidu added that the improvements would allow the foundation to deliver a better learning experience while supporting the long-term growth of the programme.

For Maluleke, the upgraded facility represents more than new equipment. It is another reminder that meaningful partnerships can help create opportunities for people who simply need someone to believe in them.

Looking ahead, she hopes to expand the organisation’s initiatives while continuing to empower vulnerable women, men, children, and families in and around Centurion.

“Our message is simple. Transformation is a shared responsibility. Every act of kindness, volunteer work, donation, and partnership creates an opportunity for someone to rewrite their story. Together, we can help people move from surviving to thriving,” she added.

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