This is a heartbreaking update to a story that, with the help of a community, still has a chance at a happy ending.
Johannesburg, South Africa (02 April 2026) – Last week, we shared the story of Rosie, a mother who put out a humble call to her community, hoping to make her daughter’s matric farewell special.
After suffering a cerebrovascular stroke in 2023, she has been navigating life with a disability, raising two young children alone, and carrying the mounting weight of everything. Still, she kept both children in school, and with the help of the Randburg community, she gave her daughter the matric dance of her dreams last week.
It was everything she hoped for and more.
This week, we received heartbreaking news.
Rosie and her two children, aged eighteen and twelve, have been evicted from their home in Riverside View. She had been struggling to cover rent, taking on freelance work wherever she could and eventually launching a BackaBuddy appeal for help. It wasn’t enough.
At midnight last night, Rosie and her children arrived at the gate of One Small Act of Kindness, a moving truck behind them.
“At around midnight, a truck arrived at our gate with a mom and her two children. She had just been evicted,” OSAOK shared. “She’s weak, walking with a crutch, and clearly terrified. The landlord had her belongings loaded up and removed. With no strength or stability to fight it, she had no choice but to leave.”
Sadly, OSAOK had no space or means to take them in. All they could do at that moment was direct the family to the nearest police station for the night, and put out a call for help.
“Right now, we unfortunately don’t have the means or space to take her in, and that is one of the hardest things to sit with,” said Kelly-Ann, founder of OSAOK. “But I cannot ignore what I saw tonight — the fear in her eyes and the uncertainty in her children’s faces.”
Rosie and her children spent the night at the Diepsloot police station. Their belongings were dropped at a local church, where they remain outside in a yard.
“We’re walking around not knowing what to do or where to go,” she told us this morning. “I can see the frustration in my kids. My daughter was supposed to be at school today, the matrics are still busy, but we’re out in the streets. My heart aches seeing them like this.”
Rosie’s stroke left her with lasting effects on her mobility and muscle function, and she continues to need ongoing care and monitoring.
For a woman already carrying so much, this has been a devastating blow.
The team at One Small Act of Kindness have stepped up. There is hope. While the road ahead is still uncertain, the shelter has called on its community of supporters to help find Rosie and her children a place to land.
“We will do everything we can on our side to assist where possible, but we need help from the community on this one,” OSAOK shared.
With the right people behind them, this small family can find their feet again. If you would like to help, please reach out to One Small Act of Kindness on 082 513 2042.
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