Mother of mercy
Community elder, 76, lives to lift lives of youth
Florence Mvana is on a mission to alleviate hunger in her community.
Having founded Siyazakha Community Project, an NPO based in Mdantsane’s NU3, Mvana, 76, focuses on uplifting the community through recreational activities, and giving food parcels to needy families.
These are often child-headed homes, as well as families where no one is employed.
She said Siyazakha uplifts the community through encouraging young people to participate in sport. The idea is to distract the youths from turning to drugs and alcohol.
Mvana is passionate about transforming her community for the better. She hopes to see the impoverished people move up a level where they can be self-sufficient.
Mvana has no government funding and relies solely on the Cape Town-based NPO Mustadafin Foundation.
Mustadafin works across the Western Cape to uplift destitute communities through education, feeding schemes, healthcare programmes, youth interventions and skills development.
Mvana said she connected with Mustadafin when she lived in Cape Town.
“I saw the way people were suffering and how much crime there was due to unemployment. I started organising sports days for the youth and sewing classes for unemployed women. Mustadafin saw the work I was doing and they assisted me by providing food parcels to give to the people I was helping. I believe that when you help a person, you need to help them holistically.”
Mustadafin director Gary Paulse’s personal assistant, Amena Jumat, said they had a beautiful journey with Mvana.
“We met Florence in 2004. She had already been in community service for about five years and was organising community building events out of her own pocket. We saw the passion she had for her community and decided to help. We have been doing so ever since.
“We depend on sponsorship from people who believe in our cause and in that way we are able to assist Florence and many like her.”
Mvana has been doing community work for the past 20 years and said she would have it no other way.
Mvana is a saviour to many. Noluthando Matyumza of NU8 said it was thanks to Mvana that she runs a stall at Mdantsane Highway taxi rank
“Florence started a sewing programme last year and gathered unemployed women from around the area. I learnt how to sew clothes and now I have a skill to last me a lifetime.”