Like hundreds of other children in her rural township, 10-year-old Kamva Mtshingana has seen the portly, comical figure in a red and white suit on television many a times.
But Father Christmas never gave her anything in real life.
She had prayed and begged and wished him to give her a Barbie doll because her family could not afford to buy it for her.
That changed on Christmas Day when Father Christmas gave her a “beautiful” doll as her “very best ever” Christmas present.
The gift was thanks to government spokesman and philanthropist Sizwe Kupelo.
His Sizwe Kupelo Foundation hosted a grand party for 600 rural children from Thabo Mbeki township in Libode on Christmas Day.
Mtshingana, who had just completed Grade 5, was among the hundreds of bright young faces quivering with excitement as Kupelo and Nyandeni local municipality mayor Thokozile Sokhanyile, handed out toys to be prized in material form and memory forever.
“I don’t even know how to describe how I am feeling right now,” said the little girl as she hugged her beloved gift.
This was not the first time Kupelo and his foundation had left young rural girls like Mtshingana at a loss for words.
Every year since 2008, the foundation hosts an annual party for children from impoverished backgrounds.
“My only joy from this is seeing tears streaming down the faces of their mothers. That’s all the reward I need,” said Kupelo, who is the provincial spokesman for health.
More than 5000 children from Ngqeleni and Libode have been assisted by the foundation.
Sokhanyile praised Kupelo and his foundation saying the municipality wanted to partner with them so that more children could be reached.
“It’s the only time of the year that they feel like those children who come from better homes,” she said.
About 100km from Libode, former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson Ndaba Mandela also hosted about 250 children at the late world icon’s home in Qunu.
Joy, too, beamed from their little faces as they received toys from Ndaba and staff from the Nelson Mandela Museum.
Ndaba said Mandela’s spirit lived on.
“He loved children and the people of Qunu. We decided to continue the tradition by doing this to show the children how much we love and care about them,” said Ndaba.
Ndaba’s older sibling and chief of Mvezo, Mandla Mandela, also spread Christmas cheer by hosting more than a thousand children at the Mvezo Great Place on the same day. Wearing a Santa suit, Mandla dished out toys to children from around the villages of Mvezo. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Gifts bring cheer to rural children
But Father Christmas never gave her anything in real life.
She had prayed and begged and wished him to give her a Barbie doll because her family could not afford to buy it for her.
That changed on Christmas Day when Father Christmas gave her a “beautiful” doll as her “very best ever” Christmas present.
The gift was thanks to government spokesman and philanthropist Sizwe Kupelo.
His Sizwe Kupelo Foundation hosted a grand party for 600 rural children from Thabo Mbeki township in Libode on Christmas Day.
Mtshingana, who had just completed Grade 5, was among the hundreds of bright young faces quivering with excitement as Kupelo and Nyandeni local municipality mayor Thokozile Sokhanyile, handed out toys to be prized in material form and memory forever.
“I don’t even know how to describe how I am feeling right now,” said the little girl as she hugged her beloved gift.
This was not the first time Kupelo and his foundation had left young rural girls like Mtshingana at a loss for words.
Every year since 2008, the foundation hosts an annual party for children from impoverished backgrounds.
“My only joy from this is seeing tears streaming down the faces of their mothers. That’s all the reward I need,” said Kupelo, who is the provincial spokesman for health.
More than 5000 children from Ngqeleni and Libode have been assisted by the foundation.
Sokhanyile praised Kupelo and his foundation saying the municipality wanted to partner with them so that more children could be reached.
“It’s the only time of the year that they feel like those children who come from better homes,” she said.
About 100km from Libode, former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson Ndaba Mandela also hosted about 250 children at the late world icon’s home in Qunu.
Joy, too, beamed from their little faces as they received toys from Ndaba and staff from the Nelson Mandela Museum.
Ndaba said Mandela’s spirit lived on.
“He loved children and the people of Qunu. We decided to continue the tradition by doing this to show the children how much we love and care about them,” said Ndaba.
Ndaba’s older sibling and chief of Mvezo, Mandla Mandela, also spread Christmas cheer by hosting more than a thousand children at the Mvezo Great Place on the same day. Wearing a Santa suit, Mandla dished out toys to children from around the villages of Mvezo. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
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