OUR HEROES
Community Development Award Winner 2018
OUR UNSUNG COMMUNITY HEROES AND HEROINES
Nomalizo Sylvia Magoba
Nomalizo Sylvia Magoba, nee Caine, was born on the 29 January 1944 in Lusikisiki, then in Pondoland, Transkei. She is the eldest in a family of three girls. Their mother was a housewife while their father worked at the Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor) in Pretoria.
She was positively influenced to love children and community work early in her life. She grew up with two siblings and many other children from maternal and paternal aunts who their mother accommodated in their small home. Additional to studying agriculture at school, they grewspinach, tomato and potatoes in their small home garden.
She attended Njombela Primary School up to standard four and did standard five and six at Elim Higher Primary School in Lusikisiki in 1957 and 1958 respectively. She went to complete her higher primary education in 1960 at Umbumbulu High School at Isipingo, then in Natal and completed her secondary education at Thokoza Secondary School, East Rand.
She was positively influenced to love children and community work early in her life. She grew up with two siblings and many other children from maternal and paternal aunts who their mother accommodated in their small home. Additional to studying agriculture at school, they grewspinach, tomato and potatoes in their small home garden.
She attended Njombela Primary School up to standard four and did standard five and six at Elim Higher Primary School in Lusikisiki in 1957 and 1958 respectively. She went to complete her higher primary education in 1960 at Umbumbulu High School at Isipingo, then in Natal and completed her secondary education at Thokoza Secondary School, East Rand.
Sylvia did design and dress making through Lyceum College in Johannesburg and completed in 1962. She went into the small business of sewing to support her family. She designed school uniforms for Thoho-Ya-Ndou Primary School for some years and has also done Venda traditional wedding attire.
When in 1998 the Child Welfare Society introduced a project called Iso la Bantwana, she became interested and got involved in the project. Her involvement gave her a deeper understanding of community work. The project created an opportunity for her when she identified the big need to look after children who were in need of help. She became more aware of children who wereorphans, abused and rejected and were uncared for.Thus was the beginning of Kingdom Life Child and Youth Care Centre.
The centre operated originally from her home in Saulsville with six children from the age of four in 1999. By the year 2000, she had ten children but was only allowed to foster six children. In the year 2001, a Tshwane Councilor, Mr Victor Rambau, offered an old deserted Vembe Beer Hall in Saulsvillefor the accommodation of the children. She moved in with fourteen children into a building which was in a dilapidated state and which required a lot of funds to make it a suitable home for children. She was advised by a Baptist Pastor from Laudium, Pretoria how to register thecentre so that she could access funds. Woolworths and Pick ’n Pay started providing them with fruits and groceries. When they started, their meat dish consisted of bones and chicken feet.
The centre was registered in 2008 with only sixteen children. For the past seventeen years, Mrs Magoba has been managing this centre which now has sixty-five children. The children here are afforded an opportunity to study and already eight of them have acquired university bachelor’s degrees whilst a further two are currently studying for master’s degrees in Accounting. A popular pastime for the children is participation in orchestral music under tutelage of an instructor from Unisa where they also participate and have won in several competitions. The children are taught a religious life and participate in Sunday devotions and daily morning prayers. Evenings are reserved for studies. The children are also well fed receiving three nourishing meals per day.
Most of the children are from sexual abuse and or drug addiction backgrounds and consequently are not too trusting. A major aspect of the psychological service provided is helping the children to be accepting, to love themselves and be exemplary and responsible members of society.
Sylvia finds joy in seeing the children regaining hope and trust and changing for the better. This motivates her to do more. She strongly believes that a child is raised by the community and that everyone should have a part to play in the upbringing of a child.
The Kingdom Life Child and Youth Care Centre accommodates and cares for abused, neglected, orphaned and abandoned children of all ages. The children are provided with a loving and caring home where they are moulded, mentored, guided and empowered so as to take their rightful place in the society. Other programmes at the centre include after school care, singing, playing music instruments, dancing, soccer and feeding.
The centre is supported by several funders and subsidised by the Department of Social Development. The Super Shongwe Memorial and Charity Trust has been funding Kingdom Life Centre since 2010. We have made contributions to the value of more than R3.0 million for a fully furnished media and resource centre which is equipped with computers and houses a library. The living quarters and ablution facilities were also renovated extensively. We have also provided the centre with blankets, clothing, groceries and violins.
Sylvia was married to the late Calvin Khorombi Magoba in 1962 and was unfortunately widowed in 2015. They were blessed with six girls, all born and bred in Saulsville, Pretoria.
