Foundation leads fight against poverty with heart-driven community support
A gap is being filled in the community by creating long-term support.
When Oratile Motsusi looks back on his childhood, he remembers the quiet ache of witnessing families around him struggle for things many take for granted, such as food, clothing, and dignity.
Those memories, along with the lessons of kindness passed down from his grandmother, Martha Mmeme, would become the foundation of the Waratwa Foundation, a non-profit organisation he later registered on May 15, 2022.
Today, that organisation is steadily becoming a symbol of love-driven service and community empowerment.
Motsusi’s journey toward founding Waratwa was shaped not only by empathy but also by a personal sense of accountability.
His encounters with orphaned children and homeless individuals left a deep emotional imprint, one he describes as a lasting guilt that pushed him toward action.
“I had to create something bigger than myself. A vehicle that could reach people I alone could not. That’s how Waratwa Foundation was born.”
Waratwa was founded to fill a gap he saw clearly in his community. While many good-hearted individuals offered help, most of it came in the form of once-off handouts with no sustainable follow-up.
Vulnerable groups, children from low-income families, homeless individuals, people with disabilities, widows, and single parents, were receiving occasional relief, but not the long-term support that could change their circumstances.
Waratwa’s mission became to not only meet immediate needs but also empower people with resources and care that help break the cycle of poverty.
Their vision, Motsusi explained, is a South Africa where everyone has an equal chance to thrive.
Under his leadership, the foundation has grown into a multi-programme entity offering both humanitarian and developmental support.
The organisation runs charity drives for clothes, shoes, groceries, and sanitary pads, while also co-ordinating initiatives that provide meals, haircuts, and emotional support for the homeless.
Motsusi said last year, they hosted a charity drive at Halaletsang Child and Youth Care Centre, followed by two major Charity Begins With You feeding events on Nelson Mandela Drive, including a Christmas edition.
The foundation incorporates awareness, education, and social development through projects such as the Lupus Awareness Fun Walk, the Sports Against Crime event and a theatre production teaching children about Stranger Danger.
One of Waratwa’s defining moments happened outside South Africa when, in Windhoek, Namibia, the team collaborated with Havanah Charity Work Foundation to distribute sanitary pads and clothing.
“Since its inception, the foundation has reached over 1 000 people through feeding drives and supported children’s homes with essential items.
“Volunteers collect data quarterly, allowing the team to track impact not only through numbers but through personal stories shared by those they assist,” he said.
Despite these achievements, Motsusi acknowledged ongoing challenges, especially securing more sponsorships, transport assistance, venues for programmes, and rehabilitation services for homeless individuals seeking help.
“We are not just feeding people, we are restoring dignity, hope, and humanity. As long as there is someone in need, Waratwa Foundation will show up.”
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