Each day was the same for them, the cupboards were always empty and each night they slept with their stomachs growling. Nomcebo grew up as a child who never asked for much and never bothered her mother with anything.

Each night her heart broke as she listened to her mother’s heartbreaking prayer and always heard her cries. They were poor and the fact that her mother worked as a maid for 8 years but was earning R100 every 2 weeks, broke her heart more.

“We have nothing to eat tonight,” her mother said as she sat down and sighed. “I worked twice as hard today because the madam has visitors tonight.

I quickly went to get water and gave it to her. “I can go to Babu Nzimande to give us half bread and small Koo beans.”

Her mother shook her head “We already have credit of R200 with him.” She kept quiet for a little while. “There’s two slices that I was saving; you can have it.”

“As long as we’ll take one slice each.”

Her mother smiled a little. “What did I do to have such an amazing girl like you?”