More leaders – parents like these women are needed in communities.
CCN Reporter – George C April
Cape Flats:- In the tough streets of Lavender Hill, where gang violence and hardship often overshadow hope, a quiet but powerful story unfolds every single night.
Since October last year, a mother walks hand-in-hand with her adult daughter from Lavender Hill to the Hopeful Leaders Night School in Steenberg. They brave the dark, the risks, and the exhaustion – all for one goal: giving the daughter the education she couldn’t complete earlier in life, perhaps due to family struggles, financial pressures, or the harsh realities many face on the Cape Flats.
What stands out most isn’t just the daughter’s determination,it’s the mother’s unwavering faith and love. She doesn’t just send her daughter; she walks the path with her. Every step is a declaration: “It’s never too late. Education is freedom. And a mother’s support can move mountains.” Her belief, rooted in deep trust in God’s guidance – fuels their consistency and inspires everyone around them.
This isn’t an isolated miracle. It’s part of the incredible work led by Yumna Alexander, a single mother, community activist, and true changemaker from Manenberg. Yumna herself dropped out of school due to circumstances beyond her control, but years later she went back, completed her matric while juggling motherhood and life’s hardships, and even pursued a Bachelor of Education. In 2020, she founded “Hopeful Leaders Night School” with a simple but profound vision: to give adults, from their 20s to their 60s, a second chance at matric.
What started in a container in Manenberg has grown into “10 night schools” across Cape Town’s vulnerable communities: Manenberg, Mitchells Plain, Delft, Bishop Lavis, Hanover Park, Lavender Hill, Bonteheuwel, Elsies River, Ravensmead, and more. Run mostly by women, charging only a small fee (like R15 per lesson) to cover costs, these schools have already helped hundreds rewrite their stories, breaking cycles of poverty, empowering parents to inspire their children, and proving that education truly is emancipation.
Yumna’s leadership shows us what one determined person can achieve. She doesn’t wait for government or big donors; she acts with faith, grit, and community heart. And stories like this mother-daughter duo remind us why her work matters: when parents care and get involved, whole families rise.
But this shouldn’t stop at the Cape Flats.
The need is just as real in rural Western Cape towns like Saldanha, Vredendal, Hopefield, Malmesbury, and beyond, places where young people drop out due to distance, farm work, family responsibilities, or limited opportunities. Imagine night schools popping up there too: safe spaces where adults can learn after work, where mothers and fathers can model perseverance for their kids, where communities come together to build brighter futures.
To the communities in these areas: Let’s take inspiration from Yumna Alexander and the Hopeful Leaders team. Support existing initiatives where you can, donate, volunteer, spread the word, or even start something similar. Partner with churches, community halls, or local leaders to offer evening classes. In times like these, we need more everyday heroes: leaders who believe change starts at home, with faith, love, and action.
Yumna once said something powerful: People are serious about changing their lives and their children’s futures, it all starts with you. Let’s make sure more people get that chance.
If you’re in Malmesbury or nearby and want to explore bringing something like this to the platteland, reach out, maybe connect with Hopeful Leaders via their Facebook page (Hopeful Leaders Night School) or look for ways to collaborate.
Together, we can plant these seeds of hope far and wide.
Stories like this don’t just motivate; they call us to action.
Picture – Social Media
