‘I WAS DESPERATE AND ASKED FOR HELP ON TWITTER’

Social Media can be trash sometimes, but on Sunday we saw that the platforms can be used for good.

When Thabisa Xhelithole (33) from Khayelitsha took to Twitter to ask for a R10 electricity token. Mzansi Twitter responded overwhelmingly, Xhelithole got more than she expected.

A desperate Thabisa quoted the now famous "O jewa ke eng?" question by @akreana_ with a message reading "Can anyone buy me R10, electricity pliz! ??"

"At that point I was desperate. There was nothing, I wanted to cook some porridge for my baby who was desperately hungry.

“I had asked my family for help and I felt that they had enough of me asking. I was desperate, I had little data on my phone, and I took to Twitter to ask for help," Xhelithole said.

At the time of writing, Xhelithole had received more than R1900 worth of electricity.

“The first token I got was for R30 when I got that I was happy. I'd be glad if that's all I got. But people kept on sending and sending and sending. I told them that it was enough, but they kept on sending anyway," Xhelithole said.

Xhelithole is a single mother of two. She has a son who is 10 years old and a daughter who is 2 years old.

"When people were celebrating Father’s Day. I was in the dark asking for help from strangers because the father of my kids had given up on them and left me to fend for them on my own," Xhelithole said.

The people on social media are amazing. I asked for electricity, but people were curious as to what else they could help. People have been sending me whatever money they can, they've been sending me e-Wallets and asking what else they can help me with.

I have been overwhelmed by people's reactions. I appreciate each and every one who helped by sending electricity, money or just retweeted. It means a lot to me. I'd like to thank everyone," Xhelithole said.