What started as one woman’s worry about children playing unsupervised in the streets of Maphosa village in Botlokwa, Limpopo, has grown into a community engine that feeds, teaches and employs — and now dreams of exporting vegetables beyond South Africa’s borders.
Johanna Mailula, a mother of three and grandmother of two, founded the Maphosa Drop-in Centre in 2016. “My greatest concern was seeing children playing in the streets after school, with no one looking after them. I knew I had to do something to create a safe place where they could be cared for and supported,” she told SAnews.
A Safe Place That Grew
Nearly a decade on, the centre cares for 68 children, providing psychosocial support, homework assistance, educational enrichment, life skills development and nutritious meals. In the early years, Mailula went door-to-door for donations. “The community supported us with the little they had, and that encouraged me to continue,” she recalls.
But Mailula understood that protecting children could not be separated from the economic pressures on their families. So the centre branched into agriculture — and the results have been remarkable.
Vegetables People Travel For
The centre’s agricultural project has created 17 permanent jobs, plus seasonal work and volunteer opportunities. Its produce has built a reputation that draws buyers from across the province. “People from different districts travel to buy our vegetables because they trust the quality of our produce,” Mailula says.
With five hectares of land allocated by the Traditional Council, she is thinking bigger: “Our dream is to export our produce beyond South Africa. The additional land gives us the opportunity to increase production and build a sustainable agricultural enterprise that benefits the entire community.”
Partnerships That Multiply Impact
The centre’s rise shows what community-led initiatives can achieve when backed by the right partners. Support has come from the Department of Social Development, the National Lotteries Commission and the local municipality, while humanitarian partners such as Gift of the Givers help vulnerable households facing food insecurity.
A major milestone came in 2026, when support facilitated by the National Development Agency unlocked a partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, bringing R1.3 million to implement the Green Harvest Project. The funding has delivered:
- Irrigation infrastructure, boreholes and water storage facilities
- Fencing and shade-net structures
- Seedling production and expanded crop cultivation
- Training and mentorship in food production and market access
From a handful of children off the street to a growing rural enterprise, Mailula’s journey is proof of what local leadership can build when vision is matched with action — one vegetable bed at a time.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Leave a Reply