In March last year, soon after starting at Cida City Campus, Amina Khoza set up a street family project.
"It started as an Aids project," says Khoza, now a 21-year-old second-year student.
"We started by teaching each other and hosting debates on HIV/Aids," says Khoza. "And it grew to our participation in the campaign run by government for Aids week last year.
"But after a year, we realised that when people are not getting medication or information about health and they don't know how to look after themselves, the issue is not just about Aids but about health and poverty.
"In the communities we come from, junk food is the main meal of the day. So we started to learn more about health issues, about good eating habits, about taking exercise. We then looked at redefining ourselves.
"We realised we should rather call ourselves something more comfortable for people to associate themselves with. We are a help group, dealing with all health problems we encounter as students, focusing mainly on Aids.
"We identified street kids as role players in spreading HIV/Aids. Young as they are, they are exposed to all kinds of cruel people who take advantage of them. For instance, a young girl might be raped by a male influenced by the myth that virgins cure Aids.
"She might contract HIV and not know it and grow up and be exposed to prostitution due to living in desperate circumstances. She might spread the disease to the community and to the kids she lives with."
Khoza says, at that point, the group realised the need for street children to have a family.
So the group set up a "street family that will care for Cida and for the community outside of Cida, especially the street kids. We have undergone training from the nursing sister on the campus. And when we have new volunteers we take them to training."
The group has saved R470 towards establishing a soup kitchen for street kids. "When the street kids know where they can get a meal, they become more willing to listen and talk to people. We don't want to push them into anything. We just want to take it slowly and allow them to embrace themselves into the street family group, without fearing they will be taken home. They don't want anything to do with the social workers because they trace their parents and send them back. We want to give them the chance to make informed choices."
The group also regularly visits a sanctuary for infants and toddlers. "We go there and hang out with the babies and I specifically have my own little one. There's a whole lot of children to be loved in one place - close to 15 - and only eight or 10 workers to give them personal attention." The group sends at least five volunteers to visit the sanctuary on Friday afternoons.
Khoza lives in Meadowlands, Soweto. "I stay with my two elder brothers, my twin sister, my younger sister, my younger brother and my nephew. My twin sister had a baby while she was at school. So we are six young people, plus the kid."
The family is supported by Khoza's brothers. "My elder brother is a car mechanic. My other brother transports people to different places. Like when there is a party somewhere and the guys need a Kombi or the ladies need to go somewhere, like a society meeting on a Sunday."
Cida has arranged work for Khoza with First National Bank (FNB). Her Friday afternoons are spent alternately with the toddlers and FNB. And she works for FNB every Saturday morning. "The money I earn is used for my transport," she says.
Khoza sees Cida's role in her life as pivotal. "Cida is the best thing that ever happened in my life. I know if I weren't here, I would perhaps be loafing in Soweto. And some guys here would be doing crime. Cida has changed a whole lot of students' attitudes. It has given us hope," she says.
"Even if you don't have anything, you know there is a reason to live. You aspire to something. And we are taught to give to others, even if we only have love to give. When I am successful and working, I will come back and help Cida grow."
