Rays of Hope is sad to say goodbye to Sihle Mooi, a phenomenal leader and pillar of the community who has helped the organisation and the Alexandra Township community make incredible progress towards a better future during his tenure as CEO.
Having joined Rays of Hope in 2015, Mooi was initially responsible for overseeing the Child Headed Households programme, which he says was what first exposed him to the harsh realities and challenges that residents of Alex face. His heartbreak at seeing people struggle to access basic services, not to mention the scourge of domestic and gender-based-violence cases that plague the community, moved him to take a deeper interest in the lives of people living in Alex.
Mooi was appointed CEO the following year, using his position to engage and build relationships with community leaders of all ages in Alex, with the goal of working together at grassroots level to help Alex realise a brighter future,
With Mooi at the helm, Rays of Hope has pioneered many successful programmes and impacted thousands of lives. In addition to Rays of Hope’s three major focus areas – the vulnerable, education and career building, other initiatives include the #WarmUpAlex campaign that runs annually and ensures the neediest of Alex residents receive warm clothes, blankets, food and other forms of necessary support during the freezing Johannesburg winters.
We would be remiss not to mention the partnerships and collaborations that have formed during the pandemic, as Rays of Hope joined forces with at least 30 other like-minded charitable organisations to bring relief and hope to people in Alex in an extremely difficult time. Sihle has been very involved with mentoring and upskilling the young leaders of many of these organisations.
“I am sad to be leaving and I do so with a heavy heart but at some point in life one has to move on,” says an emotional Mooi. While he may be leaving Rays of Hope, it puts our hearts at ease knowing he will continue his love and passion for serving the community in his future role as the South African Country Manager at Jam International.
