Situated in Finetown, an informal settlement on the outskirts of Johannesburg, you will find the Zenzele Day Care Centre and Orphanage.

Finetown is one of the local impoverished Townships of South Africa. 75% of the people who reside within it’s boundaries are unemployed and the HIV/AIDS virus is rife – affecting the entire community.

In 1996 a local woman, Winnie Mabaso, noticed that there were lots of children whose parents were dying because of the HIV/AIDS virus. These children were hungry, frightened and alone. Winnie was deeply moved by an empathy and concern for the children and she began to provide care, support and food – serving them both practically, emotionally and spiritually.

These daily acts of human kindness which began with just a few bowls of soup grew into one of the most compassionate of human endeavours I have ever witnessed. By the time I met Winnie in 2004 she was caring for and providing food for up to 1700 children every week. In addition to this Winnie had also begun to provide care and support in the form of a Day Care Centre for vulnerable pre-school children and babies.

In 2005 we were able to help Winnie in her dream of opening an orphanage which now provides a home for local children whose parents have died due to HIV/AIDS.

Very sadly in January 2007, Winnie passed away following a short and unexpected illness. The people whose lives Winnie touched were devastated at the loss of such an extraordinary woman. However, we are all determined that the Winnie Mabaso Foundation will continue with the work she began, not just to honour her legacy but to maintain and provide a refuge and a safe haven for the children of Finetown.