12-year-old Vinoshan Naidoo has a recipe for kindness, and it’s bringing volunteers and cooks together to share stories and make rotis for disadvantaged and often lonely pensioners.
Chatsworth, South Africa (17 September 2025) – Sometimes, it is the youngest souls among us that spark the brightest change. In the lively community of Chatsworth, 12-year-old Vinoshan Naidoo has taken the inspiration of a simple school project and brought it to his community to bring about the ripple effects of kindness and connection to the elderly.
Through his Rotis and Stories project, Vinoshan, along with a group of volunteers at the Nelson Mandela Community Youth Centre and experienced roti makers, are using their passion for helping others and cooking skills to support pensioners in need.
“We teach people to make roti with the help of seasoned roti makers. Last Saturday, we had about 50 volunteers who came together to make roti. Some people sponsored some of the ingredients, and we asked people to bring their own rolling pins and boards,” Vinoshan shares with us.
“The idea is that we make the roti and cook a huge pot of potato curry to have with it. After the cooking, the volunteers taste their work before packing the rest of the rotis to distribute to various homes of less fortunate pensioners listed on the community centre’s database. When there, the “stories” part of the initiative comes in as volunteers take the time to sit down and just talk with the pensioners, who are often very lonely.”
Clive Pillay, who plays an integral part in the project, shared that through the roti delivery visits, he even met an elderly woman who was so grateful for the gesture, as she had nothing to eat.
Through Rotis and Stories, volunteers aren’t only delivering meals, they are intentionally making time to connect with the elderly, many of whom don’t always have someone to simply socialise or share their challenges with.
The team hopes to keep the project going and encourages the greater community to join its mission of championing companionship and storytelling.
“We want to hear people’s stories, we want to talk to them, and we want to make pensioners feel cared for,” Clive adds.
To get involved or for more information, visit the Nelson Mandela Community Youth Centre Instagram and Facebook pages.
Sources: Nothando Mthembu | Vinoshan Naidoo
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