It is women like Winnie Mabaso, a retired auxiliary nurse, who took her time to prepare and serve orphaned children from her neighborhood who stands out when we talk about women in this month

” It all started with a random act of kindness, 

a giving heart and open hands.”

One thing about Winnie Mabaso is that she did this persistently and single-handedly, she stood at her garden gate every day and served with love and warmth, creating a line of people waiting for soup that stretched all the way down the street, in the informal settlement of Finetown, South of Johannesburg.

Sadly Winnie Mabaso passed away very suddenly before her amazing work could stretch further to other parts of the country as she had dreamed it would.

It was at that very moment that there was uncertainty about the future of this great work she was doing and the future of the children who depended on this initiative to survive every day.

But it is true when they say after darkness there is light, even though a wonderful woman was no more all was not lost and that’s all thanks to Lisa Ashton MBE, who when Winnie Mabaso was laid to rest decided That she was going to continue Winnie’s kindness and philanthropy in her memory,

And thus birthing The Winnie Mabaso Foundation which she founded in 2015, a foundation established to support vulnerable and orphaned children in South Africa.

Over the years Lisa and her team have launched incredible projects to support women and children. Projects such as Ilamula House a home for vulnerable abused and orphaned girls in Mid Ennerdale, which was opened in September 2014.4

Fast forward to today and the changes have been inestimable. The Winnie Mabaso foundation also runs a variety of projects including Mabaso Preschool, Library, Granny Club, Homework Club, School Uniform, Gardening The scheme, Provision of new shacks for the homeless and vulnerable, Memorial Garden, Ad hoc workshops, Mabaso Remote clinic, and First Aid Centre and many more projects.

It is really great to witness how this foundation has changed and continues to change the lives of many South Africans and they do this without any expectations, they go out their way to make life beautiful for others with disinterested efforts and selflessness.