Nomsa’s lifting her community — now it’s our turn to lift her

Nomsa Khumalo is a mother, grandmother, and lifelong helper in her community. For years, she opened her home and her heart to children who needed a safe place after school, often finding ways to feed families when budgets ran thin. Then, last year, complications from diabetes led to a below-knee amputation — and suddenly the woman who always lifted others up had to learn to lean on those around her.

Life changed overnight. Simple moments we take for granted — walking from room to room, preparing meals, popping to the shop, playing with grandchildren — became obstacles. Public-sector waiting lists for prosthetics can stretch to years, which meant Nomsa faced an uncertain future of waiting, coping, and hoping. A respected prosthetist offered a discounted quotation for a quality prosthesis, but the cost — R70,000 — remained out of reach for her family.

When her cousin reached out, the Hot Cares community listened. Nomsa’s story reflects the very heart of what we believe: dignity matters, mobility matters, and giving someone back their independence can change not just one life, but many. With a prosthetic leg, Nomsa can rebuild her confidence, support her 17-year-old daughter through matric, be present for her grandchildren, and return to the community work that gave her such purpose.

Hot Cares is stepping in to help fund a high-quality prosthetic leg (up to R70,000), so Nomsa can take the next step — literally and figuratively — toward living fully again. It’s a practical intervention with a powerful ripple effect, restoring agency and opening doors that have been closed for far too long.

Thank you to everyone who supports Hot Cares. Your generosity puts real tools in real hands — and, in Nomsa’s case, helps her stand tall again for herself, her family, and the children who have always looked up to her.