Ermelo Toyota hands over groceries to child-headed home

After last week’s front-page story in the Highvelder, “Child-headed families are a norm in Wesselton”, the staff of Ermelo Toyota reached out and donated groceries to one of the girls who heads her household on Wednesday, 15 August.

At just 16 years old, Vuyisile Ayanda Phakathi has had to fend for herself when her mother died in 2016. Vuyisile is now 19 years old and all she has are dreams of the future that could have been.

Having left Lindile Secondary School in Grade 8 to take care of her ill mother, she has no hope for the future.

The youngest of three siblings, she is often left for months on end by herself in the four corners of her low-cost house which her mother left them in Khayelihle.

With no identity documents and no income in sight, Vuyisile is helped by her neighbours and leaders of the community to get by.

Vuyisile has attempted numerous times to get government grants, but to no avail.

Her dream is to return to school to complete Grade 12 and to study further to become a social worker to help children who are in the same situation.

“We hand over the groceries on behalf of Noeleen Laubscher and will be checking up on Vuyisile to help her in any way we can,” said Ms Constance Makhubu, a staff member.

Ms Makhubu will also assist Vuyisile to get her identity documents and to register her for the food scheme programme at Sassa.

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