This Women’s Month, SA Harvest celebrates Alice Modiri – a woman whose dream became Omosa Development, and whose daily acts of care have made her Mme oa Sechaba, a mother of the nation. Her story is one of resilience, generosity, and the power of women to hold communities together through food.
A Tradition of Giving
Alice’s generosity began long before Omosa. As a child, she cooked alongside her mother, serving neighbours and community members. Those early lessons taught her that food is more than nourishment – it is a way to show love, dignity, and belonging. Omosa is the continuation of that legacy.
Her tradition of giving extends beyond Alexandra. For years, she has baked cakes for every staff member at SA Harvest’s Johannesburg warehouse on their birthdays. This Women’s Month, Chef Pinky and the SA Harvest team returned the favour, celebrating Alice and reminding her that her endless giving does not go unnoticed.
Chef Pinky presents a cake to Alice Modiri – honouring her tradition of giving and reminding her that her endless care does not go unnoticed.
Alexandra Township: A Place of Struggle and Survival
Alexandra, one of Johannesburg’s oldest townships, is a place of resilience and hardship. Overcrowding, high unemployment, and poverty define daily life. Parents often have no food to offer their children, and social grants are stretched thin or misused, leaving many vulnerable.
Against this backdrop, women have long carried the burden of food security. They stretch resources, share what little they have, and keep families fed against the odds. Alice Modiri stands firmly in this tradition, but she has transformed it into something bigger: Omosa Development, a community organisation born from a dream.
A Dream That Became Omosa Development
Alice’s background in child psychology and counselling gave her the skills to recognise distress and create safe spaces. These insights became the backbone of Omosa.
When she began cooking during the pandemic, she wasn’t just feeding children – she was applying everything she had learned about care and development. She could see need in the smallest details: the dryness of a child’s lips, the way they carried themselves, the silence in their eyes.
Omosa began as a grassroots “meals on wheels” effort. With nothing more than a bag of cabbage and melamine, Alice cooked and shared food house‑to‑house. To her surprise, 330 children arrived. At the peak of the pandemic, she was feeding over 1,000 people a day. Today, Omosa provides daily meals to 600 children aged 0–17.
Feeding Children First
Alice Modiri ensures that no child goes hungry – prioritising the youngest in Alexandra who often have no one else to care for them.
Alice’s philosophy is simple but profound: children must eat first.
Challenges Faced as a Woman Leader
Alice’s journey has not been without obstacles. As a woman leading a community‑based organisation in a patriarchal society, she often faces scepticism and resistance. She feels that volunteers would react differently to her rules if they were set by a man.
Beyond gendered barriers, she struggles with the daily realities of running Omosa Development:
A large pot of food cooking over an open fire at Omosa Development.
Building a Culture of Sharing and Rehabilitation
Omosa Development is not only about food. It is about healing and community care.
Her community loves her not just for the meals, but for the way she treats people with care, respect, and inclusion. Unlike other organisations that pick and choose who is worthy of food, Alice ensures no one is excluded.
Measuring Impact: Community Feedback
The feedback Alice receives is heartfelt. Families appreciate not only the food but the compassion. They know that while Alice is around, no child will go to bed hungry.
As Zanele Mokolutlo, Head of Community Based Organisations Management at SA Harvest, explains: “The community knows they can rely on Alice because even on school holidays, they are assured they will get a meal. She prioritises kids, and that makes all the difference.”
How Donors Can Support Omosa Development
For Omosa Development to continue growing and sustaining its impact, Alice’s most urgent challenge is transport. Without a vehicle of her own, she must hire a car and driver whenever she needs to fetch food donations or run essential errands. These costs are high, and petrol fees quickly consume her limited resources.
A dedicated car and fuel support would change everything. It would enable Alice to collect donations reliably, keep Omosa’s operations running smoothly, and ensure that meals can be prepared without interruption.
Other important needs include:
While SA Harvest provides a balanced basket of nutritious food, Alice needs consistent donor support to strengthen Omosa’s infrastructure and sustain its volunteers. Every contribution – especially towards transport – helps Omosa feed, empower, and uplift Alexandra’s most vulnerable.
👉 To support Alice Modiri and Omosa Development, contact Zanele Mokolutlo at zanele@saharvest.org or visit SA Harvest’s website.
Closing Reflection
Alice Modiri is more than a community leader. She is Mme oa Sechaba, a mother of the nation. The people of Alexandra know they can rely on her not only for food, but for counsel, support, and care.
This Women’s Month, SA Harvest honours Alice Modiri and women like her. Their work is not behind the food system, but at the very heart of it. They feed bodies and souls. They sustain communities. They remind us that food security is about dignity, hope, and the strength of women who hold communities together.
To learn more or get involved, reach out to Zanele at zanele@saharvest.org or visit saharvest.org.