Interview with Founder and Director, Julia Sefuthi

Tholoana Foundation

Interview with Founder and Director, Julia Sefuthi

Julia Sefuthi is a firm believer in working with others to overcome the challenges faced by communities. The founder and director of the Tholoana Foundation has set her sights on making an impact in communities across the country, having already found success in the North West province. For the Tholoana Foundation “our strength lies not only in the words we stand by, but most importantly through the actions of our initiatives”.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE THOLOANA FOUNDATION?

I am the last-born child in my family. I grew up with everything any child could dream of. My parents loved people unconditionally. They did not want to see other people suffer. That spirit of helping out people lives in me. In 2018, I moved to Matlosana in North West. I could see people opening up dustbins to look for something to recycle. I would ask God many questions and one was why He brought me to this place to see people suffer. Matric students with good results would work odd jobs only because they lacked information about university and NSFAS applications systems. Having witnessed all this, God pushed me out of my comfort zone and the Tholoana Foundation was born.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PROGRAMMES THAT THE THOLOANA FOUNDATION OFFERS?

• Community development through agricultural projects

• Skills development training (basic plumbing, basic welding, aluminium making and sewing)

• Matriculants’ empowerment

• Learnerships and internships facilitation

• Job placements where possible

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TO WORK TOGETHER WITH ORGANISATIONS LIKE THE THOLOANA FOUNDATION?

We believe that if we are working together, we will be able to transform and improve the lives of many people in the country. Our programmes and activities are designed to be catalysts that help community members reach their goals and fulfil their potential. If the public and private sectors invest their resources in the Tholoana Foundation, they will learn about the positive impact we have in the community. If we join hands it is possible to bring about positive change.

PLEASE SHARE SOME OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE STARTING IN 2020.

• About 39 matric students were assisted and placed at different higher education institutions across the country, all of them with successful NSFAS bursaries

• Engagement with more matric students in different high schools in North West, assisting them to prepare for university

• Partnership with Bethel High School on an agricultural project as a means of finding more ways to be sustainable

• About 50 food vouchers distributed with the help of other organisations serving the same purpose

WHAT ARE THE FOUNDATION'S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

• To have an office in each province across the country

• Build more partnerships with the higher education institutions, to increase chances of helping out more learners

• Gain access to farms which are no longer in use; as this will see more people getting jobs

• Develop a fully-operational soup kitchen, serving 3 meals per day; this will see people getting full-time jobs

• Funding support (donations) from public and private sectors to enable the organisation to reach its objectives, we cannot do anything in a silo. Hence our slogan: “Together for a better tomorrow”. •

Address Stilfontein, North West, 2551

Tel 068 216 8782

E-mail: info@tholoanafoundation.co.za