Born as Nthabiseng Paulina Maphasa on the outskirts of the rural area of Maseru, Lesotho, Kareemah found her way to South Africa with her grandparents in 1995.
A hard childhood, death and difficult circumstances saw 11-year old Kareemah find a place at our home in November 2002.
Kareemah focused on her school and her passion for writing and spent her years in high school expressing this passion through writing articles for SBC. She matriculated from Metropolitan Raucall in 2008. Then, with the support of SBC, Kareemah got to explore her passion for drama and began her arts degree specialising in film studies at the AFDA School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance in 2010.
She graduated in 2014 with a BA Honours Degree in Live Performance, and even won best overall performer in a post graduate film for her graduation project, Uthando. Since then, Kareemah has worked on numerous projects including serving as a production assistant on the hit TV magazine show Spirit Sundae and going on to spend time as a News Anchor for ITV.
“They say, ‘every set back, is a setup, for a comeback.’, The circumstances in my childhood may have set me back, but it was the grace of Allah that led me to the door step of the Sultan Bahu Centre, where I essentially got my opportunity for a comeback. Sultan Bahu Centre is truly a place, organisation and family that opens its heart to heal your heart. Humanity, charity and Ubuntu are Gods way of reminding us that anything is possible, and your starting point doesn’t have to be your ending. Because when you serve sincerely for the sake and pleasure of the Almighty, the Almighty will move mountains and seas to see your vision a reality, just like Sultan Bahu Centre has done for us – it has been a home where you learn to watch your spirit of compassion unfold to uplift and serve people within the community with dignity …” says Kareemah.
Kareemah’s incredible success story is a true example of nature and nurture, as one of our oldest children, Kareemah has proved time and again that with love, and patience it is possible to heal one’s heart and far outstrip the barriers placed in front of one.
To help other children develop as successfully as Kareemah has, please donate right now to ensure that we can continue to keep our doors open to talented and hardworking young people like Kareemah
