This is Hillbrow in Johanesberg its not just dirty...When you look at the murder, rape or assault rate ( per 100.000 people ) its also very dangerous. Most say the most dangerous place in the world.

Up to 200 murders, 200 rapes, 4.000 assaults, 6.000 robberies and 70 hi jackings happen each year at hillbrow, but when you see that all the crimes and many more happen at an area that has only 0,6 squaremiles ( 1,1 squarekilometres ) it seems like hell on earth.

But this man Juma Is a lifeline to many of the children there with his organisation Malaika Orphanage

I was fortunate enough to stay there in 2010 when the World Cup was hosted in South Africa, not realising the extent of the issues in Hillbrow. Once there the children and Juma made it very difficult to leave despite what was going in around you. I enjoyed my time there so much that I stayed an extra month and we set up collaborations with local universities, visited museums, the zoo and theatres (things I take for granted with my family now). Trying to create fun ways to educate the kids and of course played and watched lots of Football!

This is where the young ones used to stay!

I returned in 2018, again a World Cup year. I was pleased to see certain parts of Hillbrow itself are getting slightly better through projects like Ekhaya http://www.jda.org.za/component/content/article/95-september/358-finding-a-safe-haven-in-hillbrow-

Unfortunately the Malaika building on Kotze street (above as taken July 2018) is not part of the project yet and sadly if it was they wouldn’t be able to afford the rent! Malaika Orphanage is located in a non managed building on the second floor which has two metal double locked gates to enter the orphanage space (about 20 square meters for 71 kids). The neighbours are squatters...drug addicts mostly with a stench of pot, pcp and burning meth / heroine difficult to avoid the fact!

Having said this there is hope! Juma Mohammed has dedicated his life since 2009 to providing a safe haven for these children who through no fault of their own were born here. As he says “I want the children to feel a sense of being loved and not rejected or regretted”. His dream is to provide a landed property for Malaika where children have space to run free and provide safety and shelter and maybe even plant a flower and watch it grow!

When I was in Hillbrow in 2010 a little girl Neo was like my shadow. She had a genuine passion for learning and was interested in everything I said (which is a massive achievement in itself, just ask my Wife and friends).

With the continued help of Juma, Neo is now an 18 year old studying hard to achieve her dream of being a gynecologist. It was so nice to see the impact on a young life of having a community to be part of and role models to aspire to.

This is one example of success that Malaika has provided and there are many others including their first university entrant this year! Now Juma would like to create a more sustainable, secure future for Malaika and the children that pass through the door and onto a better life.

Please help where you can to donate money, fundraise and raise awareness of his great organisation that through adversity and genuine danger is building a future for those who had little hope of ever having one. Trust me you will get a lot back!

Oh and when you are feeling hard done too or thinking someone is better off then you, maybe your kids are screaming for a new toy or not sharing....just spare a thought for these guys!

Despite all they don’t have they are still happy, singing, dancing and taking life as it comes...let’s help make that life even better and show them a clear path to a brighter future