Nombulelo Dada’s Story

Siyaphila: We Are Alive!

Nombulelo Dada’s Story 

Like many dreams, Nombulelo Dada’s began with a simple desire: to care for others.

But the path toward that dream would not be straightforward. Life has a way of reshaping even our clearest ambitions, forcing people to navigate roads they never expected to travel. Some journeys are interrupted by hardship, others by loss, and some by circumstances that demand an entirely new way of seeing the world.

For Nombulelo, that turning point came in 2008, when she lost her eyesight.

Originally from Khayelitsha, Nombulelo had worked as a caregiver, selflessly dedicating herself to supporting others. But her role as a caregiver did not end when she left work each day. At home, she cared for her four children and also helped raise her late sister’s children, carrying the responsibilities of motherhood and family with quiet strength.

She had always dreamed of becoming a nurse. Caring for others was not simply work to her — it was a calling. But after losing her vision, that dream suddenly felt distant, and the future she had imagined for herself became uncertain.

For many, such a loss could have marked the end of the road. For Nombulelo, it became the beginning of a different journey.

Determined not to allow her disability to define her limits, she began searching for new ways to support herself and continue serving others. That search eventually led her to Phambili VIP, a community-based organisation in Khayelitsha that provides employment opportunities and skills development for visually impaired individuals.

There, Nombulelo began learning candle-making. Over time, what started as a new skill slowly became a source of confidence and purpose. Through patience, and practice, she became so skilled in the craft that she eventually began teaching others herself — a role she still proudly holds today.

But even as she rebuilt her confidence, Nombulelo continued searching for ways to grow further and create something sustainable for her family and community.

It was through a colleague at Phambili VIP that she first heard about the work being done by Islamic Relief in communities across South Africa. After reaching out, she was enrolled in the organisation’s Agri-Farming Programme — an initiative aimed at helping vulnerable individuals build sustainable livelihoods through agriculture.

For Nombulelo, farming without sight presented an entirely new challenge.

The programme taught her how to navigate agriculture through touch, memory, and guided support. Slowly, she learned to plant, maintain, and harvest vegetables using her hands as her primary guide, adapting farming methods to suit her abilities rather than seeing her disability as a barrier.

The process was not easy. It required patience, persistence, and the willingness to relearn tasks many people take for granted. But through that journey, Nombulelo rebuilt her confidence and with it, her independence. 

Today, she is the proud founder of a home-based agricultural venture called Siyaphila, meaning “We are alive.”

The name reflects a deeply personal belief that food sustains life, nourishes communities, and creates opportunities for growth even in difficult circumstances. Through Siyaphila, Nombulelo grows vegetables not only to support her household, but also to serve her community and inspire others living with disabilities.

Her ambitions continue to grow. Nombulelo hopes to expand her vegetable production, sell fresh produce more widely within her community, and encourage others facing hardship to believe in their own potential.

Nombulelo’s story is not only about overcoming blindness. It is about resilience, adaptation, and refusing to let loss determine the boundaries of possibility. Her journey shows that while dreams may sometimes change shape, they do not have to disappear. And when determination is met with opportunity and a hand-up rather than a hand-out — new paths can emerge — even in the darkest of circumstances.

Stories like these are made possible through Islamic Relief South Africa’s Sustainable Livelihoods initiatives, which aim to empower individuals and families to build stable sources of income and long-term resilience. To support livelihoods projects that uplift communities and restore dignity, Click Here.