The corona virus pandemic made the years 2020 and 2021 very hard for many around the globe. Tankiso Moremi was one many people who lost their jobs. He was working in the administration department of Eldorado High School in Gauteng, South Africa. As Tankiso so puts it, he has never been one to back down from a challenge. He decided to use his love for working with children to good use. Tankiso started a non-governmental organisation where he now feeds at least 200 children in the informal settlement of Zone 9 Pimville in Soweto. He also recently donated 700 pairs of school shoes to these children in need.

During the hard lockdown, schools were closed. This led to many of the children who depend on school feeding schemes going hungry. Tankiso says he knew that many parents had lost their jobs, just like he did. This meant that it was not only his 5-year-old daughter who was in need but many children in his area were going hungry. This is what kept him awake on most nights and finally led him make a change.

He reached out to a number of friends who were also unemployed and shared with them his dream of starting Kasi Hero Foundation. The idea was to start a soup kitchen in the area for even up to 10 children. They were shocked when more than 50 children pitched! This was a testament to the need for their services in the area. This is when he turned to social media asking for donations because they did not want to turn any children away. He confesses that it was difficult at first but he persevered because turning the children away was not an option.

He says ‘Whenever I came across a child without school shoes, I would ask for donations on social media and when people responded to my call, I would post it on social media. That way people knew that their donations were being used fruitfully.’ With all the likes and sharing of his social media posts, more donations came in.

His team of volunteers quickly grew as more community members saw the good work that he was doing. This meant that their ability to help, also increased. They started serving three meals a day. Word got around and soon the number of children who were coming in also increased. Right now, the number of children fluctuates between 200 and 400. No one is turned away.
Covid 19 regulations are observed at all times. This means the children are served in small groups.
In December 2021, Kasi Hero Foundation with the help of the community and their social media followers, realised one of their biggest dreams. They built a centre that also serves as a day-care centre where children are looked after free of charge, allowing parents to go out and find work without worrying about their children.

The foundation still relies heavily on donations to be able to carry out their work. In January 2022, the Collen Mashawana Foundation donated R 120 000 (+_7880 US$). The foundation also raised enough money to purchase 700 school shoes for learners.
Tankiso says ‘You do not need to be rich to serve your community, you just need to have a willing heart.’