12/06/2026
❤️ Before leaving South Africa, we encouraged our daughter Niara to use her very first collaboration to make a difference in someone else’s life.
She chose Thandi House in Pietermaritzburg. 🏡✨
What started as a toy donation 🧸🎁 turned into a deeply moving experience. We spent time with the children, played football together ⚽️, listened to their stories, and learned about some of the challenges they face daily, including providing enough food for the children in their care.
One of the unexpected things we learned was that the orphanage had been facing significant challenges in providing enough nutritious meals 🍞🍎 for the children in their care. Because of this, we were able to contribute an undisclosed amount towards food, in addition to donating toys and a few extra footballs ⚽️ after discovering how passionate many of the boys were about the sport.
🇿🇦 South Africa is home to millions of orphaned and vulnerable children. Yet many people don’t realize that not every child living in an orphanage has lost both parents. Many children find themselves in care due to poverty, family crises, abuse, neglect, or circumstances beyond their control. Behind every child is a story, a dream, and a future worth investing in. 🌱✨
Before leaving, we promised Mark and his team that we would share their story. So if you feel led to support Thandi House, please send The Dlamini Foundation a DM 📩 and we’ll connect you directly with them.
✨ We believe that real change happens when we choose not to look away, but instead ask: “How can we help?”
Well done, Niara. We are so proud of your kind and generous heart. ❤️🙏🏾