SIVE NKUKWANA,
29, TV producer and founder of Sive Hope Foundation uses her annual ‘Fairy’s Day’ project to motivate the children of her hometown to dream bigger and want more out of life. Why this initiative? When I moved to Joburg in 2010, it wasn’t easy to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Being from a village, my heavy accent placed me at a disadvantage, especially while trying to navigate the media industry. I wanted to warn the kids back home eTsomo that their background would be a stumbling block, but that it also shouldn’t define them, and that their dreams were valid – no matter what. So, that’s how the Sive Hope Foundation came about.
How did you get started? What we’ve done over the last eight years is unpack what mental poverty is, because poverty goes beyond not having food or a good education. I adopted and worked with over 16 high schools in the iNtsika Yethu Municipality to assist, mentor and motivate learners. I also do girl-talk seminars where we speak to young girls who are still in school. I call my birthday ‘Fairy’s Day’ – a day when I celebrate with 200 kids from my village aged between five and 13. We celebrate their great marks, play games, and they update me on any personal developments. It’s not just a party – I get to see them grow, and help to identify their needs and assist with them with securing grants.
What keeps you going? I believe in humanity, and my foundation has given me a greater sense of purpose. Figuring out life’s fulfilling moments is amazing, and knowing that anything can happen because we’re alive is even better. I may not have R20 million to work with, but I am making a difference.
What experience touched you the most? One of the years before ‘Fairy’s Day’, I was involved in a car accident. I woke up crying, with a sore body and wondered why bad things were still happening to me. My mom got me through that dark phase and kept reminding me I had kids that still needed me. Now I know that my work is about making a difference, and not getting a ‘well done’ pat on my back. The world would be a much better place if… we all believed in humanity.