It is encouraging to note that there are people who still care for the poor, while the majority of the wealthy only think about themselves and their families. There is much to learn from Mr Goddard Mugwena (44), of Muledane, who has turned his home into an unofficial orphanage.

The community builder is the founder and managing director of Pragmatic Centre for Science and Technology and Injectmed Paramedic College.

When Mirror visited his home during the weekend, Mugwena was sharing jokes with two children he had adopted. Olga Tshikovhi (13) from Madimbo was struggling after her unemployed, single mother could not raise her. Her plight was answered by Goddard, who has no kinship with her, when he decided to come to their rescue. He then travelled hundreds of kilometres to Madimbo and took the little girl to stay with him at Muledane since 2004.

The girl is now doing Grade 6 at the Pragmatic Centre for Science and Technology. Goddard says he will take the girl through until she completes her tertiary education.

Another young man is Mpho Mavhenga, of Tshaululu, whose parents passed away years ago. "I came across Mpho, who is not my relative, in 2001 and his sad story touched my heart. He was very bright and the future looked gloomy for him because he had no one to finance his education. I then took him and stayed with him here at my home. He completed his Grade 12 at Pragmatic Centre for Science and Technology and I took him through his university studies. He has now completed his Geology degree at the University of Venda and I am taking him through to a driving school, so that he can acquire a driver’s licence," says Mugwena.

He says he is not doing this for name or fame but he does it out of love for people. "I grew up in a very poor family and I know what poverty is all about. I don’t want other people to experience the pangs of poverty like myself and that is why I am doing everything to assist those in need. I believe that other people will also join me in this war against poverty because it needs all of us to work together."

Mpho Mavhenga said about Goddard: "This is home far away from home and we are very happy to have a fatherly figure like him. Although he has his own kids, he treats us equally without discrimination and he wants to keep us happy every now and then. He is kind-hearted and I believe that God will give him more days to live. Look, I am what I am because of him and he is not even my relative."