A vibrant room filled with music, song, and joyful applause set the stage for a celebration of resilience, community leadership, and purpose.
The Heroes of Hope Awards brought together frontline champions, donors, and advocates to honour the incredible women and community leaders who dedicate their lives to feeding and raising South Africa’s children.
Also see: Seth Shezi’s MasterChef victory helps feed preschoolers in need
Beyond celebrating local champions, the event served as a landmark moment of reflection, highlighting a strategic evolution in how Ladles of Love fights hunger and supports early childhood development nationwide.
Uncovering the urgent need: Moving beyond soup kitchens
Addressing the room, Ladles of Love founder Danny Diliberto delivered a raw, heartfelt keynote about the organisation’s strategic evolution. Recalling the painful realities observed at community soup kitchens, Danny shared the heartbreaking scenes that prompted a total shift in focus.
“All the soup kitchens we were supporting had hundreds of children coming… Can you imagine? A two-year-old is given the responsibility to fetch food for the family. How does that kid even find the way to the soup kitchen?”
The turning point came directly from the frontline caregivers.
“The mamas are telling me, ‘You know what, we give the child the food first, because when he goes home, or she goes home, the parents don’t feed her. They’ll eat the food before they serve the child.'”
A courageous pivot: “Delivering nutrition brilliantly”
Recognising that emergency soup kitchens were not providing the targeted support vulnerable toddlers needed, Ladles of Love made the difficult decision to pivot. The organisation stepped back from supporting 80 general soup kitchens to redirect its resources toward Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres.
Acknowledging the personal and organisational struggle of that transition, Danny candidly admitted, “Now God’s telling me, ‘You must go to ECDs now.’ And I couldn’t listen… But one thing I’ve learned when you don’t listen… it will happen. 2024 was a very difficult year for Ladles of Love because I wasn’t listening.”
That listening led to a refined, laser-focused mission:
“We are here to deliver nutrition brilliantly. That’s our job. I don’t want to know about vegetable gardens and edutainment; we want to deliver nutrition brilliantly, because the ripple effect is… look! This is delivering nutrition brilliantly.”
Also see: Wimpy and Ladles of Love join forces to provide 6 000 books to ECD centres
Unsung heroes recognised: The winners list
The heart of the gathering was the recognition of preschool leaders operating on the frontlines of impoverished communities. Honouring operational excellence, sustainable leadership, and selfless service, the awards spanned vital categories:
Child Nutrition and Wellness
- Winner: Bulelwa Vanqa – Kids Ministry (Delft)
- Runner-Up: Lydia Majezi – Lelothando Educare (Delft)
Inclusive Education
- Winner: Monica November – Hope of Africa (Delft)
- Runner-Up: Joyce Anderson – Emmanuel Daycare (Atlantis)
The Hero of Hope Award
Recognising exceptional leadership, resilience in the face of hardship, and extraordinary community impact, the flagship award of the day was presented to:
- Winner: Moyahabo Wendy Ramogole – Thabelang Kgotso (Alexandra, Gauteng) (Awarded R5,000, a high-quality microwave, and an electric oven/hob donated by Midea)
- Runner-Up: Monica Abrahams – Drie Beertjies (Fisantekraal)
From Delft to Kuruman to Alexandra, these winners demonstrate how sustainable micro-enterprises and dedicated caregivers are reshaping the future of early education in South Africa.
Greatness as a daily practice
Adding to the emotional resonance of the ceremony, guest speaker Zureida Jardine offered a powerful, vulnerable message on overcoming struggle, regulating one’s self-worth, and combating imposter syndrome.
“I clap for myself because I’ve spent most of my life not celebrating myself,” Zureida shared. “When you come from the backgrounds that we come from… it’s very hard to celebrate yourself. I’ve made it my mission… when someone says my name in honour, I clap. Because that little girl… comes from a timeline of struggle.”
Acknowledging the weight of standing before such impactful leaders, she added: “I am feeling huge imposter syndrome right now… the reality is that I do not feel worthy… But I am worthy.”
The ripple effect
As the applause settled and the trophy photos were taken, the overarching message of the day remained clear: nourishing a child’s body is the foundation for nourishing their mind, their family, and their entire community. Through the dedication of the award-winning ECD mamas and Ladles of Love’s renewed commitment to “deliver nutrition brilliantly,” thousands of young South Africans are being given the strong start they deserve.
Also see: Marc Lottering becomes a ‘Hands-On Hero’ at Ladles of Love’s Mandela Day event
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