Noreen’s home kitchen brings hope to Soweto, with help from Silverstar and Hot Cares

In the heart of Soweto, Noreen’s home is far more than four walls and a roof – it’s a lifeline. What started as one woman’s determination to help her neighbours has grown into the Ubuhlebomusa Foundation, a registered NPO that feeds, teaches, and uplifts some of the most vulnerable members of her community.

Noreen is a devoted mom to a 13-year-old son with Down syndrome. Drawing on the empathy and strength that comes from raising a special needs child, she pours that same care into the people around her. Three days a week – Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays – her home becomes a soup kitchen, where vulnerable families, children, and elderly residents arrive not just for a hot meal, but for dignity, comfort, and hope.

But Noreen is doing more than filling empty stomachs. She’s fighting poverty at its roots by empowering women with practical skills. She has taught herself to knit, sew, crochet, and create beautiful beadwork – and she now passes these skills on to other women, helping them to build confidence and generate income. The beadwork made by Noreen and local volunteers is sold at markets around Sandton, with proceeds supporting the foundation’s ongoing work.

When Hot Cares heard that the soup kitchen was struggling to keep up – needing a 19kg gas cylinder and trestle tables to prepare and serve meals safely – we knew our friends at Silverstar would want to get involved. Together with Silverstar, Hot Cares is stepping in to cover the cost of the gas cylinder and trestle tables, as well as beans and materials for Noreen’s beadwork and bags – support valued at R20,000.