Good Morning Angels: A single mom's fight for a better life for her children

GOOD MORNING ANGELS FESTIVE 7 DECEMBER 2017 (ROMANS/YOLANDé)

BACKGROUND: It’s been a hard year for many South African families. For Yolandé Beukes, a single-income mom of three daughters, the past four years have been extremely difficult. She’s been struggling to pay all her bills on a single income. Yolandé says there have been times that she doubted her ability to care for her girls: especially when her two little ones couldn’t go to school because of her non-payment. In this time, her 18-year-old looked after them to the detriment of her own school work. When she paid up the school fees, their lights were cut. This happened four times this past year. 

Her eldest sold her laptop and CD player to help pay the bills. Yolandé says she cannot believe that her daughters still see her as their Supermom, but this has given her the courage and will to keep on doing her best. All she wants for her children this Christmas is a bit of a break from the hardship and for them to know how much she loves them.

REQUEST FOR:  Lisa (18), Storm (4) and Shihanne (3)

REQUEST FROM: Yolandé Beukes

ANGEL: John Nicolakakis, CEO of Romans Pizza, our fabulous GMA Festive Edition sponsor (Bonnie Cooper, Chief Media Officer of Romans Pizza)

SPONSORING: Roman’s Pizza will help Yolandé and her daughters on the journey to independence and a peaceful festive season by donating R30,000 towards school fees and other household necessities.

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

Good morning,

Hope you are doing well? I’m writing to you today from the bottom of a mothers heart. No, it’s not the same as your other needs, I’m not sick or anything like that. This request is for my children… 2017 has been a very hard and traumatic year to us. Well actually the past 4 years, but this year takes the cake. I’m a working mother with the three most beautiful girls. I have Lisa she’s 18, Storm is 4 and Shihanne is 3. I love my children to death and even after, but yet this year I failed them… even though I tried my best I could not take care in all my children's needs. My two small girls were twice this year not allowed to come to school because I couldn’t pay the school fees every month, as I had to pay rent and water and lights.  So, my eldest helped me with them, which meant that she couldn’t get through all her schoolwork. So I paid the school fees (as much as I could) and then my lights were disconnected. For the past 35 days we’ve been living without power again, 4th time this year alone.  It’s hard… small children who’s scared, cold nights, there’s so much details I can go into. Me and my eldest daughter have been to court numerous times this year, going again on the 7th as she has serious medical problems but her father keeps taking her off the medical aid. Numerous visits to the emergency department of the hospital, admissions, tears, tests, all in all this has been a really hard year, but by grace we made it…

The request I have may sound small and insignificant if you look at other peoples' requests. But, me as a mother would like to thank my children for always believing in me.  For loving me always.  There were days I stood up not knowing how I was going to make it through this day and nights that I went to sleep wishing I would never wake up again.  I believed that my children would be so much better off without me… and yet, they love me, I’m their hero SUPERMOM! And as long as I hug and kiss them they smile with eyes shining brighter than any star… so as a mother I would like to thank them… through all this, they saved my life!!!!

It is almost Christmas. I do not have the finances to get them Christmas presents… if it is possible can you please help me to give them something?

My eldest sold all her goods to help me: her laptop, cd player and yet she lives for music and dance… if you can maybe give her even a small radio - that will fill her heart with joy.  Maybe some clothes. She is 18 and she gets clothes from her nieces…

My two youngest do not have any toys for “big girls”, they would love a nice doll or a kitchen anything… they love building puzzles especially Storm is brilliant in that… they do have these black scooters but they outgrowing it so fast, maybe a bicycle… anything will do… doesn’t matter how big or small just a little something to put under the tree for them. 

We are moving this weekend.  By grace I got a flat that is much more affordable, it’s on the top floor but I call this our safe place.  There we will find peace and happiness again… I promised that not only to my children but also to myself.

If you can find it in your heart to maybe reach out to me and help my children… like I said, I know this is something small and insignificant if you look at other people’s circumstances, but as a mother this will be so amazing… I cannot remember when last as a family we had a proper Christmas.

Thank you for taking the time to read this mail… and may God bless you and your families for all the wonderful work you do… you truly are angels…

Yolandé Beukes