Giving a hardworking medical intern the means to eat every day
Food is one of the most basic human needs, and now, thanks to Good Morning Angels and our amazing donors, it is one less thing Dimpho Mpeke has to stress about while completing her internship to become a clinical embryologist.
Twenty-nine-year-old Dimpho Mpeke from Worcester in the Western Cape is well on her way to becoming a clinical embryologist.
She has already completed a Master’s degree in Medical Biological Sciences and is currently doing her two-year internship in the Reproductive Biology Laboratory at Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
Dimpho is one of only two students in the country selected for this internship, which is full-time and unpaid.
Dimpho travelled to Pretoria by bus at the beginning of January and stays in a residence at the hospital. She has to do all of this on her own steam, as her parents are financially unable to assist.
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Her father is retired from working on a wine farm, and her mother is a domestic worker, while also caring for her late sister’s three children.
Jenna Anderson is the other student selected, along with Dimpho, for this internship. Jenna has immense admiration and respect for Dimpho, but she worries about her wellbeing as she does not have the means to cook proper meals for herself. Jenna explains:
"Most residents resort to cooking in their rooms using gas plates and small fridges, items Dimpho simply cannot afford. This means that even basic, regular meals are often out of reach."
That is why Jenna wrote to Good Morning Angels, to help Dimpho with the means to eat properly.
"Dimpho is gentle, kind and incredibly hardworking, and she has come far against all odds. I would hate for her journey to be derailed simply because she cannot afford to eat."
REQUEST FOR: Dimpho Mpeke
REQUEST FROM: Jenna Anderson
ANGEL 1: Morné Kok representing Snappy Chef
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SPONSORING: The team at Snappy Chef has sent Dimpho their power- and time-saving one-plate induction plate, as well as a seven-piece cookware set.
ANGEL 2: Our friends at Meat World
SPONSORING: A fridge for Dimpho and, to fill that fridge, a monthly Meat World voucher of R2 000 until the end of 2027, when her internship finishes.
ANGEL 3: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC
SPONSORING: The Good Morning Angels Fund will assist Dimpho with a monthly stipend of R2 500 until December 2027, which totals R55 000 over 22 months.
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
Good morning Jacaranda Angel Team
I hope this email finds you well.
I am writing to you today with a heartfelt request, in the hope of finding a little kindness and support for someone who truly deserves it.
As of January 2026, my fellow intern, Dimpho Mpeke, and I began our unpaid internship in the Reproductive Biology Laboratory at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, training to become future clinical embryologists. While this opportunity is incredibly valuable, it also comes with significant financial challenges, especially for Dimpho.
Dimpho comes from a very humble background. Her father is retired from working on a wine farm, and her mother works as a domestic worker while also caring for her late sister’s children. As a result, Dimpho receives little to no financial support from home and currently relies solely on small gifts from friends to get by.
Her living conditions make daily life even harder. She stays in accommodation with a severely outdated and poorly maintained kitchen, making cooking nearly impossible. Most residents resort to cooking in their rooms using gas plates and small fridges, items she simply cannot afford. This means that even basic, regular meals are often out of reach.
Despite all of this, Dimpho remains one of the most dedicated, hardworking and humble individuals I have ever met. She was sponsored throughout her studies and worked tirelessly to obtain her Master’s degree from the University of the Western Cape in Medical Biological Sciences. At 29 years old, she has sacrificed and persevered endlessly to reach this point. Our internship lasts two years, and I would love to see her not only survive this time, but truly flourish. To do that, she simply needs the basic security of knowing she can eat and live with dignity.
Dimpho is the kind of person who will always say, “Others have it worse. I will be fine.” But as her colleague and friend, I worry deeply about her wellbeing.
With sincere humility, I am requesting whether an angel might be willing to assist with either:
A small monthly stipend, or a once-off financial contribution to help support her living expenses and possibly assist with a basic cooking setup such as a gas stove and small fridge.
A little about Dimpho: she is fluent in English, Afrikaans and Sesotho; she is terrified of geckos; and she hums soft gospel tunes throughout the day while working. She is gentle, kind and incredibly hardworking, and she has come far against all odds. I would hate for her journey to be derailed simply because she cannot afford to eat.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Any support, guidance or consideration would be deeply appreciated.
Kind regards,
Jenna Anderson
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