South Africa was never part of my plan. I was very happy with my life in Manchester, but my later-to-be husband wasn’t. He had worked in Africa before meeting me and longed to go back. So, in 1996, I left my job, packed up my belongings, and moved to the other side of the world. I lived a very comfortable life, enjoying a lifestyle I could never have imagined in the UK. I was aware of townships/informal settlements but had no interest in or desire to venture into one. That was until 2015, when my son Matthew had a school project that needed service hours. A friend suggested that we help at a soup kitchen she helped organise. Meeting the children and the volunteers was an amazing experience; we kept returning long after the required service hours were completed. I was always amazed that everyone was warm and welcoming despite their circumstance. Over the years, I heard of almost unbelievable situations that people found themselves in. One such was at a meeting with Nomhle Mbenenge, the