It all started with a simple plea for help. 33-year-old Thabisa Xhelithole, a single mother of two kids from South Africa, knew that she could not afford to pay for the electricity bill. Her only way to get the funds she needed was to ask for help through social media. She hoped to receive a few rands–equivalent to 69 cents–to help with the payment but the response she got from people online was much more than what she expected!
The single mother from Khayelitsha, Cape Town posted her call for donations on Twitter, asking if anyone can buy her electricity amounting to R10. She also included her meter number so people could refer to it.
She was really desperate for help and was left with no other choice, that’s why she decided on going to Twitter to get the help she and her children needed. She knew it was a far shot but she was in need of assistance and any amount, though small, is much appreciated.
“At that point I was desperate. There was nothing, I wanted to cook some porridge for my baby who was desperately hungry,” she told The Daily Sun. “I had asked my family for help and I felt that they had enough of me asking. I was desperate, I had little data on my phone, and I took to Twitter to ask for help.”
At first, nobody seemed to notice her plea but moments after she posted the request, she was surprised to see her meter balance increasing gradually!
The moment she received R30 on her meter, the single mom already felt really thankful and stunned. However, her shock came to a new high when the flow of help did not stop there and kept on coming!
Thabisa posted further on Twitter to update everyone on the increasing balance in her electricity meter and that she has no words for the help that she was getting from everyone on social media. It was more than what she asked for so she decided to use the extra fund she got to pay for her 10-year-old son’s school fees.
She was amazed by how much she was able to gather and was truly thankful for everyone who had extended help. The amount she received extremely exceeded her expectations and her gratitude for the out-pour of blessings she got is overflowing!
Only a week after she first posted, Thabisa already received more than R4,000 or about $58! That’s definitely way beyond the R10 donation she asked for!
“The first token I got was for R30. When I got that I was happy. I’d be glad if that’s all I got. But people kept on sending and sending and sending. I told them that it was enough, but they kept on sending anyway. I’m thankful to everyone who sent me electricity even if they don’t know me,” she told The Daily Sun.
Thabisa’s story only showed just how much a parent is willing to go through just to ensure that their children survive and, hopefully, live a comfortable life. Out of desperation, she found no other solution but to ask for help from people she doesn’t even know.
Thabisa’s story has made news in South Africa and everyone is just as stunned as she was after seeing the amount of help she received out of her plea for help via Twitter. Her drive to do whatever it takes for her kids definitely inspired a lot of viewers and people online.
It was really amazing that many people are willing to help a stranger in need out of the goodness of their hearts. This definitely serves as a reminder that we are in a world where compassion and kindness still remain and that helping does not have to involve a huge gesture or a big amount.
A few cents given by many and with the intention to help a person in need can definitely go a long, long way. What an amazing story of giving and unity!
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