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Grace, a mom in South Africa

A Strong-Willed Single Mother

Grace*, a 41-year-old single mother of five, had been struggling with poverty, unsafe housing, and a lack of social services. We discovered that Grace and her children did not have the proper identity documentation, meaning they did not have access to social services like a cash stipend, or even an education. 

Grace tried her best to make ends meet, but without a formal education she had to depend on part time jobs, which simply wasn’t enough to provide for herself or her children.

These struggles only added to the poverty they were already experiencing, making this family much more vulnerable by excluding them from basic necessities.

The first step in helping Grace and her family was to provide a safer home and environment. In 2018, we built a two-room home for the family, providing them with proper shelter. The next step was to get Grace and her children the right identification documents. This was a lengthy process that spanned three years, where we worked with multiple government offices to eventually get Grace her proper identification at the end of 2021. 

Following that, in the beginning of 2022, Grace obtained birth certificates for her 2 youngest children. Through this, Grace and the family received the much-needed cash stipend to help cover the children’s basic needs and most importantly, an opportunity of a proper education. 

The lives of Grace and her children have drastically improved, but they still need ongoing support. Only two of the five children are able to go to school and receive a cash stipend, so we continue working tirelessly so the older children receive the same benefits.

There are many other families like that of Grace and her children. Families who need lifting up during hard times.

You can lift those in need

With the weight of the world on their shoulders, give those in need a lift.

* Identifying details are modified to protect the privacy of the children and families we serve.

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