THE MORE WE GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES, THE BETTER COMMUNITIES WILL BE - PHUTI MANYELO 

As mentioned earlier on this love month that we will be focusing on different aspect of love, so we got a hold of one of the most positive influential person in Limpopo province, Phuti Matthew Manyelo to talk to us about the services his foundation is rendering that is also moving our hearts. It is truly amazing to see a young man as Phuti sharing what he laboured for with fellow members of the community. Indeed leadership is not a position but action and Phuti is a living proof of that.

Phuti-Matt Foundation is an independent

Non-profit organisation which creates, develops, and implements various

programmes, projects and initiatives to help

improve and empower the general livelihood of the communities within reach.

The Foundation was established in 2016

by Phuti Matthew Manyelo as he felt the

need to make a positive change in society.

Phuti-Matt Foundation logo

FOCUS: Can you briefly explain the logo of Phuti Matt Foundation? What inspired it?

Phuti: On the logo we see a man on top of the mountain reaching down to the one who is climbing up. The logo basically says that let us, those who are privileged, help those who are underprivileged. Phuti Matt Foundation believes that those who are at the top today had also started at the bottom. I wanted a logo that portrayed love. The man on top represents the kind of love I am talking about while the man at the bottom represents hope that him too will make it some day. 

F: Why did you feel the need to start this foundation? 

P: My background is the reason why I started this foundation. I grew up poor but I was uplifted by people around me, mostly it was people I am related to and I didn't know on a personal level. I was really touched back in 2001 when I was doing Grade 8. Some lady called my mom and I had the phone with me at school and the phone belonged to my mom. 

When I answered the phone, the lady asked me why I am at school with mom's phone and I told her that I am using it as a calculator because my mom was not working and couldn't afford to buy me a calculator. 

The lady was shocked and asked "really?". And I told her "yes". She just said okay to me after this. I didn't know that the lady was in Joburg at the time. After two days the lady drove from Joburg to Mokopane just to give me a calculator. She told me that she brought the calculator so that I can use it for my school work and do well. 

This had an impact on me because in the end I became one of the top Mathematics students in Limpopo that time, back in 2004 when I was in Grade 11. I managed to do well because that inspired me, it had a direct impact in my life. Now, these are the kind of results that made me realize that I have to pass a similar favour - giving hope to the next person/s.

In 2006 I had an opportunity to be part of Motsepe Foundation and during that process, we traveled around villages like Hammaskraal, Mamelodi, Attridgeville, Tembisa and I saw the reactions of the kids when they received Christmas gifts, their smiles touched me especially when I recall that I never received a toy when I was at home in the rural areas. But seeing those smiles from the children and seeing a gentleman like Patrice Motsepe giving back to a community, it impacted me and I realized that giving back is important. These are the kind of examples that gave me a need to give back. I'm just plowing back what was given to me.

F: How is the response from the communities you've impacted?

P: The response is massive. It is the response I never thought of, I never even dreamt that I'll be seen as somebody who is like a hero to them. I see myself as an ordinary person. I remember the event I once did back in my home village at Uitzicht, we had people from Mamelodi Sundowns, we had some celebrities from SABC 2 Muvhango soapie. This other old man, who is like a grandfather to us, he met me on the way and had his alcohol bottle on his hand, he put it down and knelt down before me and said to me "I thank you".

He said to me "look around. You see so many people came to be with you. You see that old people came to the Sport facility to enjoy soccer and rub shoulders with celebrities. This we've never seen before. This shows that what you're doing Matt, what you're doing Phuti, is very beautiful in our community. So in this regard, I want to say thank you for showing us love."

Also the donation of a house I gave, wherever I go, people still remember Phuti Matt, they always say to me "Matt you're doing are good thing for us. You are really showing us love. What you did or what you're doing in our community is very important and we really appreciate it."

So the response from the community is very massive and it's more than what I had imagined. I'm really touched by the response.

"the reason why I started this foundation. I grew up poor but I was uplifted by people around me... 

I'm just plowing back what was given to me"

F: We've seen the rise of violence between teachers and learners lately, how is your reaction to that as someone who goes around motivating these learners?

P: It's very sad to be honest. Uhm... Teachers are the ones who are setting a foundation of our lives. They're the ones who give us the fundamental principles of life which is education. Without teachers we are nothing, you'll never go to the university without going through the phase of being taught by the teachers on primary and secondary level. To see the new generation being so disrespectful and going to schools with knives and engaging in violence activities at schools is very sad, it really saddens me. 

But, the behaviour calls for solutions on how we should teach  these learners about the importance of education and we should also look into the root cause of this violence. 

You see, in one of the researches I have done showed that most kids are violence as a result of domestic violence they experience at home. They take this anger out to the next person - mostly they spend their time at schools and that's where they take out the anger. One of the most important call is for everyone including the government - social development - to have sessions of psychologists or subjects that deals with the mind as we'll be dealing with the root evil impact of domestic violence in our kids. 

This domestic violence mostly have an impact on how kids react at school. They are angry and don't sleep because you find that mom and dad are fighting and when they get to school they take out their anger to other kids and the teachers. So I always feel sad and feel bad that these things are happening, you know. My wish is that we come to the point where we have a system that goes to the schools and we teach the kids the importance of education and also not forgetting of how we can have an impact in their response to the violence they are trapped in at home before coming to school.

F: In all the projects that you do in different communities, what do you hope to achieve? 

P: My hope is to achieve or to see the birth of other foundations because together we can do more. The more people realize the impact of giving back has on the lives of our communities, they'll realize that it's very important. And it is my wish that I can witness the birth of other foundations rendering services like Phuti Matt Foundation does. I also wish to see the good results of those who are being impacted by seeing them overcoming the challenges that they face. I wish to see kids, children becoming better people in the future. In a nutshell, I hope we could break the chain of pain in our communities. Another thing is to unite those with influence to help others in our communities. 

F: We've been in lockdown for almost a year now, many homes have lost their jobs and have nothing to put on the table. As someone who normally gives out food parcels, were you able to do that last year?

P: The truth is that what has happened was out of our control, the pandemic hit us worldwide and Affected so many people especially the less privileged. We have managed to give out food parcels. We started at Mokopane in the Waterberg district and we went to Steiloop villages. In April we've managed to reach out 85 families together with other NPOs - Kholofelang NPO, Steiloo Youth Empowerment, MGI Intiatives - those were some of the NPOs that came on board and we became one thing and managed to reached about 85 families around Waterberg. 

Then as Phuti Matt, I have managed to move forward with other NGOs like Aubrey Modiba Foundation. We went to Turfloop in Mankweng at Ga-Mothapo "Nobody" we gave out food parcels to at least 100 homes and also went to Bela-Bela in the Waterberg district and gave 100 families food. In total during the pandemic, I could say we have managed to reach about 285 families in food parcels. 

F: How has the lockdown affected you as the foundation? 

P: We were not affected that much as most of our "giving back" came from my own pocket and other foundations. So I can say that in as much as the lockdown affected our daily lives and work issues, we were not able to save more from our own pockets and invest in the foundations which resulted in lessening the work I was supposed to do of giving back

F: What is the plan for Phuti Matt Foundation this year? 

P: One of the plans for this year is that firstly I realized that most people lost their jobs and most families having nothing to put on the table and this will affect the kids - I'm so close with the kids. My plan is to start by giving out with uniforms and school shoes to at least a minimum of 100 kids and if I can manage this, I'll be happy. Hopefully this February month I'll be able to buy as much as I can so that I can give them out.

I've spoken to some people to assist and they've promised but we'll see because people have been hit hard by the pandemic so I'll search myself. The other plan is to do a research on the needs of our communities especially on domestic violence, drug abuse and the kids and youth need to be kept busy with activities that will positively impact them. I also want to engage other stakeholders to come on board and assist us in reaching more needy people.