A promising young woman who has endured a difficult few years is being given a helping hand by non-profit organisation Hot Cares through HOT 102.7FM, as she looks to rebuild her life.
Sandra’s (not her real name) story reached Hot Cares via her foster-mother, who has been caring for her for nearly five years, after she took her in from an abusive household. This spilled over into her matric year, as Sandra was badly affected by depression, anxiety, and seizures, resulting in her just getting through.
Sadly, her difficulties didn’t end there. Just two years ago, Sandra was the victim of a violent sexual assault, severely impacting her mental health.
Despite this, she bravely made the choice to redo her matric to improve her results so she could pursue her tertiary education in sports science, securing a bursary at an institution in Stellenbosch.
“I haven’t been dealt the best cards in life, but I just try to do the best I can,” says Sandra.
To her credit, she found a part-time waitering job to help cover her living expenses, but from the post-traumatic stress of the attack she started experiencing such severe neurological seizures that she was no longer able to continue working. Sandra is just battling to make any headway with life, in and out of hospital, needing specialised help, and both her studies and mental health suffering.
Things came to a head earlier this year when Sandra attempted to take her own life.
Her studies are now on hold, she’s obviously not able to work, and the family unfortunately can’t afford medical aid, so that’s where Hot Cares comes in, as explained by the HOT 1027 Breakfast team when they called Sandra up and had her live on the show.
That’s when they broke the news to her that Hot Cares will be covering Sandra’s living and travel costs for the remainder of the year to hopefully take some pressure and stress off her, so she can just concentrate on her studies.
“Oh my word, I don’t know what to say. I’m so grateful!” said Sandra. “Thank you so much! I can’t tell you how much that will help and what it means to me!”
“Sandra wants to use her studies to ultimately help disadvantaged children once she is qualified and that really resonated with us, particularly after all she’s been through, now planning on putting the needs of others ahead of hers,” says Carmen Rocha, Managing Director of Hot Cares.
This is just one of the ways Hot Cares seeks to make a meaningful difference to the lives of those in the HOT 102.7FM community, along with its existing initiatives like its weekly soup kitchen, the regular help it offers crèches in informal settlements, assistance for entrepreneurs and other non-profit organisations, medical assistance for those in need, educational bursaries and the upliftment of schools and orphanages, and assistance for individuals – like Sandra – who just need a helping hand.
