Meet Nolia Moshodi, a Changemaker from Hoopstad
My name is Nolia Moshodi, and I am a mother and a passionate advocate for women’s health and well-being, especially for young African, Black, and Brown women. My journey into raising awareness and advocating for issues affecting women is deeply personal and profoundly shaped by my own experiences with cancer.
I carry the genes for potential generational cancer from both my parents. My mother and my grandfather both lost their battles with cancer, and their losses left me grappling with the fear of what my future might hold.
When my daughter was born five years ago, I was advised to get a mammogram. But life quickly became overwhelming, and I had to put off the appointment. I wasn’t ready to face the reality of my family’s cancer history. I felt like I was robbed of a chance to prepare for a future that seemed uncertain and very frightening.
This experience has taught me just how important it is, as individuals, to understand our genetic history. It’s not just about knowing our family’s health issues; it’s about how we confront and manage these challenges before they become difficult or impossible to deal with. Our children rely on us for guidance. They deserve the benefit of our awareness and honesty to help equip them for their own future.
I have always been driven by a desire to make a difference, both in my own life and in the lives of others. I want Black children to know that their worth isn’t determined by their circumstances or struggles but by their hearts and actions. My mother was my hero and inspiration. These goals and desire to bring about change in my community are inspired by the work she used to do when she was still alive.
My mother’s legacy of giving back (even when she didn’t have much herself) continues to inspire me. I remember how she would take me with her when doing pick-ups and drop-offs for clothing drives, and personally delivering the clothes to families in need. One family that stands out is a single mother and her two adult sons with disabilities. My mother would dedicate her time and efforts to ensure those boys were cared for. Her compassion and dedication have profoundly shaped who I am today.
My passions keep me moving forward. They fuel my desire to bring smiles to faces and make our community stronger and more informed. I hope to inspire others to embrace their potential, face their fears with courage, and work together to create a brighter future for our children.
My name is Sophie, AKA "Mam Sophie" and this is my story.
My name is Sophie Ntsubulane, and I was born in the Eastern Cape. I am a 37-year-old African woman with a passion for life, changes, and bettering livelihoods. At the age of 6 years, my mom moved to Orange farm with me and my siblings. we did not know my dad at the time as he was a mine worker. When I was 8 years old, my dad returned home, and we only knew him then, but unfortunately, we never got to bond as he was an abusive, alcoholic father who was then unemployed. My mother was the only one working as a domestic worker; however, money wasn’t enough to give us a decent upbringing.
My educational background was delayed as our home was more of a child-headed family; I had to look after my siblings and ensure every household chore was done daily while my mom was at work. That resulted in me being in grade R at age 9, but that never discouraged me because I had a love for education and the drive to bring change into my life, including my siblings. One day, my teacher intervened as she noticed there was something wrong with me; the case dragged on till they took a decision to send me and my siblings to a foster care children’s home. I spent my teen years in the children’s home care till I matriculated in 2004, but that was the beginning of my second round of life disaster. Home confirmed that they could not keep me any longer because I was done with school, and no funds would be donated under my name as I’m of age. I had to pack and go back home on my last day in matric, leaving my siblings behind.
I arrived home, and my mom had another man and kids. She was then unemployed, an alcoholic and did not care of my added siblings. The situation was even worse. All that drove me to move in with a guy who Is now the father of my kids. We got our shack and shared a life together. 2005, I fell pregnant with my first child; everything changed from then as my partner started cheating on me, abused me and was never the same. Been in an abusive relationship till 2007, when I moved to my new place in Drieziek 5 to start a new life alone. With time moving, I got back with my man, and he then moved to my place.
1 day, I was on Facebook, met this woman via her clothing drive initiative, and it turned out she was going through the same thing; we shared stories and ended up forming a group to register an NPO that focused on women in abuse. That’s how I came up with Pink Spot. It is now focused on GBV, and there’s 1 exciting one,“ groom a boy child”, which will help deal with the boys at a young age before they grow to be abusive monsters whom we are faced with now as our partners because of all the traumas they endured in their upbringing. At Pink Spot, we also focused on feeding Scheme to the needy and helping children with homework daily. I ended the abusive relationship, now with my kids and focused on my NPO “ pink spot “Their growth and success mean a lot to me.
I love and enjoy helping others. I am Sophie, the so-called “ Mam Sophie” in my area. I am known for change and my strong drive to bring light to those who need it.
Thank you.
A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME WITHOUT A GARDEN
My name is Noma, and I am a self-made home gardener. My goal is to inspire as many people as possible to start their own home gardens so that they can eat and live healthier lives.
When I first started gardening, I never imagined how big of a role it would play in my life. Gardening positively changed my physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Before embarking on my gardening journey, I used to worship junk food! Meals containing greasy, spicy and filling foods were my go-to meals. Soon enough, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) caught up with me when the doctor asked – do you eat vegetables?
The truth was, I only ate vegetables when I had to. In fact, even if I bought vegetables, they would stay in the fridge until they would go bad, which gave me the perfect excuse to throw them away. At this point, I knew something had to change, and I knew that I had to make that change.
And so, my gardening journey began five years ago when hubby and I moved into our first house and decided that a house is not a home without a garden. This way of thinking was also the best way for me to eat more veggies because once you’ve laboured to grow your own veggies, it just hurts too much to see them go to waste.
The first two years of gardening were a joke because we both grew up with parents who loved gardening. However, we had zero gardening experience and didn’t know where to start. But we had to start somewhere. So, we sliced a store-bought tomato and put it in the ground, along with a few sweet potatoes. The tomatoes sprouted up surprisingly fast, and soon enough, we harvested a handful of happiness. But the sweet potatoes, on the other hand, didn’t give us much when we pulled out the plants. So then, hubby and I decided to put gardening on hold to focus on having our baby boys.
In 2019 I was done with the babies and ready to go back into gardening. But because we neglected our garden for so long, it was covered in grass. We then decided to dig it all out and start the garden all over again. As soon as we started digging, we were greeted with a pleasant surprise of sweet potatoes! Lots and lots of them! For me, this was an undeniable sign that I was meant to use this space for gardening. And that’s how @GardentoPot was born. First on Instagram, and now, we are blowing up on TikTok. As I’m learning to grow, I’m also learning to cook healthier, and that’s the type of content I share on my social media platforms. My boys are also learning to love the garden, from sowing seeds to harvesting and eating carrots. 
I am truly humbled and honoured by how everyone has received my content. Now I see that there is a real need for people to be able to grow their own nutritious food with no harmful chemicals. Today my garden is my therapy, it teaches me about how life & nature work together. My garden is also my purpose, it helps me inspire others to garden and to take control of their nutrition.
