Twenty-four-year-old Miclas Ndlovu from Mangwe District in Plumtree, Matabeleland South has embarked on philanthropic efforts to support primary school learners in his community by providing them with stationery, school uniforms and covering school fees.
Ndlovu established his foundation in early March to assist vulnerable children in accessing education.
In an interview, Ndlovu said his motivation stemmed from witnessing the plight of a child whose father was tragically robbed and shot in South Africa.
“I launched the Miclas Ndlovu Foundation in early March to help vulnerable children, I help with buying stationery, and school fees which range from US$12, for now, I am focusing on five Primary school children due to limited resources. Philanthropy doesn’t need to have a lot of money. When I looked at how children struggle to get basic needs, I realised that for me to make change it does need me to be a rich person,” he said.
“What gave me the drive is the child whose father was robbed and shot in South Africa. I attended that funeral and overhead villagers talking about how the children are going to suffer following the death of their father,” said Ndlovu.
As the winter season approaches, Ndlovu plans to purchase long stockings and jerseys for the children he supports.
Ndlovu emphasised his commitment to aiding children from single-parent households, particularly those who have lost a parent.
“With time I wish to assist all underprivileged children but academically gifted. For now, I didn’t choose based on academic excellence but I chose all those who need assistance. I used to witness the distance we were walking to school, some children are still going to school barefooted around June and they have no jersey. The distance is too much as schools are apart, some children walk 7km to school. Their parents can hardly make it as they are trying to make ends meet and some of them are in South Africa,” he said.
He said he wishes to include secondary school learners and the elders by next year.
“This might seem like a small thing but I want it to go all the way and by next year I wish to move to also include secondary learners and the elderly. I don’t earn much but I learnt that if we help the children today the future will take care of itself, primary education is the most important of them all and if children don’t have that foundation they will be lost.”
Ndlovu said he was concerned with children being turned away from school due to fee arrears.
“What should children do, thus why I felt compelled to step in as I realised that I cannot change the system but I can make a difference in individual lives,” he said.
“In Makorokoro, we have a problem that we don’t have a secondary school, children walk about 35km to the nearest school. There is a secondary school that is being built but they haven’t opened it yet, and that affects children as that leads to high dropouts. Currently, councillor Mpendulo Ncube is trying to work with the community to open it,” he said.
In addition to supporting children, Ndlovu expressed his desire to assist elderly community members caring for grandchildren, especially during periods of hardship such as drought.
“One of the children I am assisting is staying with her grandmother and an unemployed uncle so while I am assisting the child, I also realized that even the grandmother needs assistance especially now that there is a drought. When it comes to the elderly, I wish to buy them small groceries and even jerseys as we are approaching winter,” said Ndlovu.
Looking ahead, Ndlovu expressed hope that more individuals would join his foundation to enable broader community initiatives, including infrastructure development such as constructing toilets and homes for those in need.
“My wish is also to have people who are going to join the foundation so that we can even go as far as constructing toilets in villages and with time we construct even decent households for villagers. I want the foundation to go as far as building a two-roomed house and a toilet for villagers in need,” said Ndlovu.
He said his foundation is not yet registered as the government needs US$300, “our immediate priority is to channel resources towards assisting children with their education expenses.”
