At 14, Nkosinathi made a choice that worried everyone who cared about her. Frustrated after being reprimanded during a video call, she walked away from Infinite Family to play rugby. Her parents feared she was heading toward a dangerous path. “They were worried that I was going to end up in the streets,” she recalls.
But here’s what you understand that makes YOU part of our Infinite Family: teenagers make mistakes. And when they’re ready to turn things around, they deserve our support.
A year later, Nkosinathi came back. She missed the LaunchPad, our team, and her peers. She agreed to probation, then to a new mentor. Today, as a Grade 11 student with clear career goals in digital marketing and farming, she’s not just planning her own future — she’s already thinking about creating jobs for other young people.
And remarkably, she’s planning how to give back: “I will donate 5 cattle to Infinite Family because we are a very big family.” Her promise reveals that she views Infinite Family not just as a program that helped her, but as family, worthy of the kind of tribute historically reserved for honored leaders and beloved family members. It demonstrates that she fully expects to achieve meaningful prosperity and that her first instinct when imagining that success is to honor those who invested in her.
This is why your investment matters. You’re not just supporting a teenager through difficult years. You’re investing in someone who will invest in themselves, support their family, strengthen their community, and inspire the next generation.
Nkosinathi recently volunteered to speak to younger teens about peer pressure and good decision-making. Her message? “Once you have a mentor, your way of thinking changes for the better.”
This Giving Tuesday, will you sponsor a Net Buddy like Nkosinathi?
Your donation will go even further: When you give through GlobalGiving, you’ll help Infinite Family win a share of $500,000 in matching funds. The more donations we receive today the larger our portion of these bonus funds — acting today multiplies your impact!
Your generosity represents the highest form of philanthropy — supporting young people who cannot repay you directly, but who will pay it forward in ways that ripple through entire communities. You’re investing in potential, believing in second chances, and demonstrating that every young person deserves someone in their corner.
Because of donors like you, Nkosinathi transformed from an angry 14-year-old who walked away into a confident young woman who tells us: “Whatever you are seeking to do with young people, it is working.”
Thank you for believing in the power of mentorship and the resilience of young people. Your support doesn’t just change individual lives — it changes families, communities, and futures.
P.S. Every sponsorship provides a Net Buddy with weekly mentoring, access to our LaunchPad, and the support of our entire global community. Your gift creates what Nkosinathi calls “a safe space to open up about anything” that leads to real solutions.