Congratulations again and again to our “Community Builder” of the month of January 2024. This young man has been selected by a lot of community members. They really believe in him and one send an email saying “our child are in safe hands under this hardworking guy”.
Percy Malepe (28) was originally born in Ga Sekororo, Limpopo Province in South Africa and moved to Diepsloot (Gauteng Province) with his parents when he was 11 years old. A born leader is a founder and Chairman of an amazing organisation named Ikemeleng Foundation.
“Thank you so much, Ikemeleng Foundation is a non- profit organisation founded in June 2020, we feed thousands of needy people and hold extra classes for learners from local schools. Before devoting myself to Ikemeleng Foundation, I served as a community activist, helping people in different ways. I am one of those who believe that charity begins at home and am always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need. Today our organisation is feeding more than 500 a day with the help of our donors such as Bags of love, Topbet SA and many other generous individuals from Deinfern and other surrounding communities”, said Percy.
We asked him about his feeling after been selected as number one community builder by Rise Africans Newspaper readers, he laughed and said: “I was so elated, it is not easy to be loved by so many people, it is a great feeling when people notice your work. The treatment in my location is amazing, I feel home everywhere I go around my community. I am being called a “Anti - Poverty Champion”.
Running an organisation is never easy, one requires sponsorship and funding. Ikemeleng Foundation still faces lots of challenges such as, lack of storage to store the donations, they are currently relying on a one mobile container. Lack of resources to accommodate leaners for after school extra classes, land to implement projects such as gardening and lack of enough sponsorship (currently sponsored by Kwikbuild Cement and TopBet SA).
Percy was awarded as Youth Community Developer of the year by Afrika Tikkun and Community Builder of the year by Colleen Mashawana Foundation the same year. He has recently been nominated for the #FOYA2O24 Awards for the social founder of the year under 30 years.
“I love helping people and my dream is to see everyone getting an education through accessible libraries. I am looking forward to enrol for psychology course so that I lead by an example. I want to see Ikemeleng foundation in every corner of the 9 provinces particularly in the rural areas having capacity buildings in a form of libraries that contains skills development centers, information centers for schools and communities so that they can improve on their literacy”, he concluded.
So far, the organisation is running projects such as food security (soup kitchen), feeding about 400+ community members on daily basis, this includes people living with disabilities, individuals on chronic medication, senior citizens, adults and children. There are also food parcels distributions, vegetables, outreach programmes, pre- loved clothes, food garden and lot.
An appeal to any company who want to sponsor the organisation can send an email to donate@ikemeleng-fo.co.za or info@ikemeleng-fo.co.za | Facebook: ikemeleng foundation diepsloot | Instagram : ikemeleng foundation diepsloot | Contact : 081 378 9868
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