Angeline Molete, who holds a degree in Project Management among others, has elected to focus her entire life on being of service to the community through empowerment programmes, education and job creation. The name of her company, Tthari Phepa, meaning ‘my womb is clean’, is representative of both of her children from the womb, while the company is about the people, for the people and composed of the community in Dobsonville, Soweto. Angeline had the honour of being nominated and awarded the award of Mama 2021 for Clover Mama Africa.

Prior to the birth of Tthari-Phepa, Angeline realised that she would unfortunately be unable to fulfil her dream of being a risk compliance manager. To bridge the gap of unemployment and poverty, she decided to venture out on her own and registered Lejwe La Thuso Foundation, an NGO that focuses on skills development within her community. This was in November of 2010 and two years on in April of 2012, Tthari was born. The two organisations are not in conflict but rather complement each another. Tthari hires volunteers who have, under Lejwe La Thuso, developed skills that are necessary to execute the NGO programmes.

We may follow the name thinking this is just an ordinary cleaning company but Tthari-Phepa is so much more. Take a drive to Soweto to taste their fresh bread and croissants straight from the oven or purchase fresh vegetables grown by the scholars at 30 of Tthari’s adopted schools in Soweto, where scholars are educated in Life Orientation classes about growing your own food and healthy eating habits. The children grasp the underlying lesson that ‘what we have doesn’t fall from heaven’ but grown by us in the earth’s rich soils. As part of her quest to educate, empower and equip her community, Angeline runs an after school program offering lessons in Maths, Science, English and Business for grade 6-11 learners free of charge. Monash University has gladly partnered with her for University placements and has granted bursaries to 45 beneficiaries. Angeline believes in second chances, with five of her employees being previous substance abusers who have gone through rehabilitation services, been chosen as beneficiaries of the NGO programme, become skilled in a sector/industry and then chosen, after assessment, to be wilfully employed at Tthari-Phepa. Angeline also assists the families of these beneficiaries in various ways, including educating them on the long-term struggles and effects of rehabilitated substance abusers and offering other forms of necessary support.

Although both the NGO and the company are flourishing, there are definite challenges to be met to reach her dreams. “The space is there but we lack the necessary resources to thrive”, says Angeline. Part of her dream is to provide services to the corporate as well as the private sector while never forgetting her neighbourhood spaza shops. However, the lack of machinery holds them back from broadening their horizons. With that, comes the need for branding and marketing and like Angeline rightfully said, giving us a glimpse into what her future holds “I want Thari-Phepa to be known nation-wide”. Unfortunately, Covid-19 made working hours rather challenging for shift work because of a lack of a vehicle. But all in all, she is a grateful woman and continues to rise to the challenge of fulfilling the five-year goal for Tthari, which is, to bridge the gap of unemployment and poverty by 80% by equipping the youth at a young age so that they never become victims created at times by a life of poverty.

Angeline shares her words of wisdom and a secret to life as, “I share what I know with others who seem not to be cared for”. Her journey with Siyakhula is about to begin after a surprise bread and pastry customer turned out to be a representative of Barloworld Siyakhula on a mission. Much like what Siyakhula stands for, is in her secret to the journey of life, it’s all about forgetting yourself and putting others first. Angeline dreams that this will be a legacy of how Siyakhula and Tthari-Phepa break the chains of poverty and unemployment.

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