Prominent Limpopo entrepreneur Mr Tom Boya presented R5 000 to the Speaker of the Mutale Municipality, Cllr Maria Mamedzi, on Tuesday.

The money will be used to open a trust account to help vulnerable and indigent kids in the Mutale Municipality.

Boya presented the cash on behalf of the Limpopo First Lady Trust. He is the chairperson of the trust of which the patron is Mrs Ramokoni Moloto, wife of Premier Sello Moloto.

Boya said the presentation is part of the provincial growth development strategy which centres around poverty reduction and the fight against HIV/Aids in rural areas. "It is important for the citizens of this country to take care of vulnerable kids and the aged because there is nothing more valuable than investing in community development. I challenge other community members, especially entrepreneurs, to follow suit and join hands in poverty eradication," said Boya when making the presentation.

During the function, more than 100 bags full of clothing and shoes were also handed over to the Mutale Municipality for distribution among the poorest of the poor in the area. The clothes and shoes were received from different businesspeople, including the famous Mama Mary of Pretoria. "The Minister of Blankets," Amie Chhaya donated 50 blankets, 50 bags of 12,5kg maize meal, boxes of margarine and cooking oil. The whole initiative is the brainchild of the hardworking Speaker of the Mutale Municipality, Cllr Maria Mamedzi.

Mamedzi said she decided to start the poverty eradication programme after realizing that there was a need for interference in the war against poverty in the Mutale municipal area. "I contacted various businesspeople who opened their warm arms for assistance. We cannot just sit and watch while poverty continues to brutalize our people on a daily basis. The SAPS also assisted us with the transport to collect some of the clothes from Mama Mary in Pretoria. We will make sure that there is transparency when distributing the clothes. I will also need a list of the beneficiaries from ward councilors and other community leaders to make sure that the goods go to the real beneficiaries. The only challenge now is to open the trust account for the vulnerable kids in our municipality. Thank God because the First Lady Trust has made R5 000 available to start with," said Mamedzi.