Latest news with #Thobile
TimesLIVE
23-06-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
'The pain is indescribable': Grieving SA mom pleads for help after au pair daughter dies in US
The mother of 27-year-old Thobile Tshabalala who died earlier this month in the US where she was working as an au pair is appealing for support to repatriate her body to SA. In a GoFundMe summary which has been set up to help her family bring her home, Tshabalala's mother, Nthabiseng Mnisi, said she was devastated. 'My beautiful daughter, my shining star, left this world far from home, in the US. She went to America last year to work. Unfortunately, she got sick in April and she was let go,' she said. 'The pain of losing her is indescribable, but what's equally unbearable is the financial burden that now weighs me down,' she said. Tshabalala experienced a severe mental health crisis in April, just a few weeks after arriving in the US as part of an au pair programme. 'Thobile joined the au pair programme and was deployed to the US. In April, she experienced a mental breakdown and was coerced into breaking her match while in a compromised mental state, resulting in the termination of her contract,' said family representative Kholekile Mnisi. Mnisi said after the termination, Tshabalala was allegedly left without support. 'The programme allegedly failed to provide Thobile with an immediate place of safety, leaving her vulnerable and without adequate support,' said Mnisi. According to the family, after losing her placement, Tshabalala travelled to Phoenix, Arizona, and later to New Jersey in the hope of returning home through a friend who had promised to help her secure a flight back. While travelling from New Jersey to Ohio, she collapsed and was hospitalised. Her condition deteriorated rapidly. Tshabalala died on June 8. The family has since launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising R362,104 to cover the costs of bringing her body back home. So far R325,314 has been raised through 483 donations.
The Citizen
01-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Zululand NPO's third annual spelling bee a success
Low literacy levels at South African schools are of great concern, with a large percentage of Grade 4 learners struggling to read for meaning. The 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) revealed that 81% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa could not read for meaning in any language, a figure that has been increasing since 2016. To address these concerns and commemorate World Book Day, the eSikhaleni-based Yenzakahle Foundation brought the power of words to the fore through its third annual Spelling Bee. ALSO READ: Education has no age limit, proves Thobile This initiative continues to grow in impact and attract more participants each year. The competition, which alternates annually between primary and high school learners, was established to not only spark a love for reading and literacy among young people, but also to provide a platform for academic excellence, confidence-building and community engagement. This year's instalment shone a light on primary school learners, who showcased their spelling prowess and passion for language in front of a lively audience. Yenzakahle Foundation founder Robin Sibisi said the event has become a much-anticipated highlight on the local calendar, uniting schools, parents and community members around the shared goal of empowering youth through education. 'We are incredibly proud to have hosted our third Spelling Bee. Each year, we see learners grow not just in vocabulary, but also in courage and public speaking. It's more than spelling, it's about opening minds,' said Sibisi. Sibisi attributed this event's success to the generous support of local businesses and Ward Councillor Siboniso Ntshangase, whose contributions and commitment to youth development made the day a resounding success. 'We are deeply grateful. Their support shows the power of partnerships in uplifting our communities. As the competition continues to rotate, the NPO hopes to keep building a culture of literacy, one word at a time,' she said. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
