By Mzukona Mantshontsho
MKWEDINI JINGXENI FOUNDATION was founded in Cosmo City in 2023 by Lusanda Jingxeni – Qekeleshe to address the plight of the needy, underprivileged, homeless, vulnerable children and communities in South Africa.
Mkwedini Jingxeni Foundation is a registered Non-Profit Company (NPC), Non-Profit Organization (NPO) that started as a need to help the less privileged, homeless individuals who had lost everything from shack fires in surrounding areas in Cosmo City.
Cosmo City continues to grow as a place of choice. That number has increased substantially over the years with backrooms being built, mostly in the RDP houses, and now even in the semi-financed houses and bonded houses. The recent developments and job opportunities in Cosmo City have created an influx into the area, which cannot be avoided.
Cosmo City emerged out of an urgent need to provide accommodation for the informal settlers of Zeverfontein and Riverbend who had been illegally occupying privately owned land 25 kilometres North West of the Johannesburg Central Business District.
It’s important to develop an understanding of the skills required in artistic expression projects, causes to empower our communities and business and to change the mind-sets of residents, particularly the unemployed youth.
It’s important to encourage the youth through examples to aspire and pursue their own paths, to further developing their own skills to earn a living, be better citizens and FUTURE Leaders!
I recently sat down with Founder at Mkwedini Jingxeni Foundation Lusanda Jingxeni-Qekeleshe about her personal and activism journey thus far.
During the week, she works as a cleaner in one of the local secondary schools in Cosmo City and on weekends, she makes it her priority to go around the community asking for clothes, food donations, shoes, blankets from individuals, retail outlets that can spare.
She sends those donations to those needy areas in the area, surrounding communities, back home in the Eastern Cape (where she is originally from), and the whole country in the future.
She does this without excluding individuals, whether they are foreign nationals or not.
“For me, ‘umntu ngumntu’, loosely translated to “I am because you are”. We need each other as individuals and as communities and as a society. This is so fitting as we celebrate Mandela Month in South Africa in the month of July annually.
Mandela Month reminds us of the power of unity, service, and selfless leadership. Former South African First Black President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela believed deeply in the power of gathering around a meal.
Mandela Month is a powerful reminder of the values Nelson Mandela stood for: dignity, service, justice and unity. Mandela Day challenges each of us to do what we can, with what we have, to make a difference.
Mandela Month challenges us to ask: What are we doing with our freedom? If it doesn’t build others, it’s wasted. If it doesn’t uplift communities, it’s empty. Let’s Honor Madiba with impact, not just memory.
All of these Mandela traits ring true with Lusanda, “I have received clothes donated by individuals, friends, family and from retail outlets, Ackerman’s and Legit and donated to the needy in Cosmo City, sent back home in the Eastern Cape, sent to Honeydew Informal Settlement, Malibongwe Ridge Informal Settlement, and surrounding areas with the aim to support and offer relief”.
All of these donated items are kept at her rented room in Cosmo City, which begs the question: will she have enough space?
Lusanda wants to see the foundation growing and be able to support people across the country and all 9 provinces. “I would love to see the foundation having its own storage space, a soup kitchen, a car, trailer, petrol and food parcels for her to fully support those in need”.
In the spirit of making Mandela Day every day by DONATION, you can contact Lusanda Jingxeni-Qekeleshe at email palesaxoka@gmail, you can contact her at +27 73 743 6827 or her husband Mzo Qekeleshe at +27 83 218 3208 or charlesqekeleshe@gmail.com
