For the past nine years, Pinky Sekai from Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria, has devoted her life to serve, restoring dignity to the most vulnerable members of her community even when she had little to give herself.
It all started in 2016 when the then-unemployed, 56-year-old Sekai opened her door to elderly social grant recipients who were cold, hungry and waiting in long lines at their local Sassa paypoint.
“People would knock on my door asking for something to eat. I couldn’t turn them away. I started cooking soup – even when I had very little myself,” she told Sowetan.
She said she could not bear to see older people go without food while waiting to receive their grants. Sekai then started a soup kitchen from her home, focusing on the elderly who queued for hours to collect their grants.
That simple act of kindness became the foundation of what is now a community-wide movement. Sekai said when the Sassa paypoint was later moved from the local community hall to another location, the soup kitchen had to close.
Still, Sekai didn't give up. Instead, a nearby school offered her space to start a community garden, giving her a new way to support those in need.
“From those early soup days, we have grown into a full community-based organisation,” Sekai said.
“Today, what started as just me with a pot of soup has become a movement of hope, touching lives across Ga-Rankuwa and Soshanguve.”
The project, now known as Northern Hope Gardens, supports more than 50 vulnerable families by growing fresh produce, which is shared with the community. But for Sekai, the garden is about more than food.
“It is about growing healing, purpose and self-sustainability,” she said.
She has since brought together 10 unemployed women from the community who help maintain the garden.
The women meet every Tuesday to tend the soil, plant new crops and harvest produce for distribution.
“It gives us a sense of ownership and pride,” Sekai said, adding that she also encourages them to have gardens at their homes.
Beyond the garden, Sekai plays a pivotal role in the healthcare sector in Ga-Rankuwa and Soshanguve.
She is the programme manager for GoPhelega, a project focused on HIV/Aids and chronic disease management, which operates under the Wits RHI.
Through her work with Wits RHI, Sekai supports services at four local clinics: Maria Rantho Clinic in Soshanguve Block L, Phedisong 1, Phedisong 6 and Ga-Rankuwa View Clinic.
When Sekai knocks off, she pushes a wheelbarrow full of vegetables to deliver to the elderly during the harvest period.
Sekai said she was also responsible for delivering chronic medication directly to patients at their homes.
“In a month, we deliver medication to about 130 patients in their homes. Many of them are elderly and would struggle to get to the clinic on their own.”
In addition to healthcare work, Sekai also focuses on supporting schoolchildren in the area.
She visits schools regularly to distribute sanitary pads to girls, but her approach is inclusive.
“No girl should miss school because of her period, but we don’t stop there,” she said.
“We also give cosmetics and toiletries to the boys, because their dignity matters too. If we’re raising confident girls, we must raise empowered boys too.
“I am just a woman from Ga-Rankuwa who refused to give up on her people. I do this work with love, even on days when there’s no funding, no applause and no break.
“What keeps me going is knowing that someone is eating, learning, healing or smiling because of what we do. That’s the reward.
“To every woman, let my journey be a reminder. Don't wait for the perfect time, it doesn't exist.”
SowetanLIVE
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