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Boitumelo Makhurane, Chronicle Reporter
DRIVEN by his tough upbringing, 19-year-old Tyrese Maseko has vowed that other children should not suffer the same way he did.

With a determined ambition, the Nketa suburb teenager started a charity organisation, Africa Reunion Trust which was registered last year to help children in need. Being an orphan, and having a poor upbringing motivated him to start charity work dedicated to helping orphans, people living with disabilities and child-headed families.

Tyrese also works to raise awareness on social issues. His is a charity organisation devoted to helping children in need.

After his mother died in 2015 when he was aged 14, Maseko had to take care of his younger sister and life was not easy for both of them as he had to take on adult-size physical and mental tasks.

He sold some of the family property to raise money.

Tyrese still plays the role of being both a parent and brother to his sibling who is now 14 years old.

“I am an orphan; I never saw my father and I lost my mother on my first day in high school in 2015. Life after my mother’s death was not easy. I was rejected by many people, relatives and friends. I had to stay with my young sister who is 14 years old and I sold my late mother’s sewing machine to make ends meet although it was not enough to cater for all our needs,’’ said Tyrese.

He said he vowed to himself that other children will not suffer the way he did.

He then ventured into the art of designing some dolls referred to as puppets which often resemble a person that are animated or manipulated so that they can move their hands, arms, or have control devices such as rods or strings to move the body, head, limbs, among others.

Tyrese said he used the money he got to provide for his sibling and other children in need.

“I ventured into puppets, I was hired by churches, schools and got the little amounts that helped me to start the organisation and donating,’’ Tyrese said.

He said he got an opportunity to be part of the young people’s network under the National Aids Council and got experience in working with other young people and seeing other young people’s plight which motivated him to give the little he had.

Tyrese also raises funds to donate to the vulnerable by selling vegetables that he gets from his garden.

“I have been using the money I get from selling vegetables I grow from my garden to buy basic stuff like sanitary wear for girls. I have been buying food, masks, clothes and blankets for orphans, street kids and some child-headed families,’’ he added.

The teenager’s wish is to help those who struggle to put food on the table. This inspired him to found a charity organisation called Africa Re-union Trust whose goal is to end poverty by providing basic needs and to educate communities about ways to fight poverty and hunger.

“Our goal is to end poverty through donating and helping orphans, people living with disabilities, street kids and child-headed families. We also offer HIV and Aids lessons,’’ said Tyrese.

He said last month he was able to mobilise young people and hosted a health awareness campaign in Nkulumane where he partnered with some organisations who then educated young people about health matters.

“Last month, we hosted a health awareness event in Nkulumane where we partnered with different organisations and youths were educated about health issues and received sanitary wear for girls,’’ he said.

He appealed to well-wishers who would also want to give to people in need and grow his organisation and be able to reach a large number of people in the city.

He can be reached on cell number 0779053378. — @Boity104