UDawn ‘Maduma’ Leppan ukhuliswe e-Drummond ngugogo nomkhulu wakhe abanendawo yokudlela endaweni. Ikhaya lakhe belisemaphethelweni alesosigodi ngaphezu kwamagquma ayinkulungwane, futhi libiza umphakathi ozungezile ngomndeni owandisiwe; umndeni awunakekele kusukela ebuncaneni, ethola ingane yakhe yokuqala eneminyaka engu-16 nje kuphela.
Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yama-1980, amehlo kaDawn avuleka ngezingxabano nokucekelwa phansi okwenzeka phakathi kwemindeni emphakathini wasendaweni yase-Valley of 1000 Hills, okwabangelwa yiziyaluyalu zombusazwe kanye nezinhlekelele zemvelo ezifana nezikhukhula. Ngo-1989 wakhuthazeka ukuthi aqale uhlelo lokuphakela umphakathi kulabo abaswele, lapho ayephakela khona ukudla emuva komvalo weveni. Kungakabiphi uDawn wabona isidingo sokwenza okwengeziwe, futhi wavulela indawo yesikhungo sokuphila kwezinsana ngaphansi kwezindawo zesonto lendawo. Lokhu kwavelela kakhulu, njengoba odadewabo abahlanu abahlengikazi nodokotela wezingane benikela ngesikhathi sabo ukusiza ukusebenzela umphakathi. Umbono kaDawn awugcinanga lapho; wayefuna ukwenza okwengeziwe. Ngemuva kokutholakala komhlaba owawunikelwe yisikole sendawo, i-Thousand Hills Community Helpers Centre yavula indawo yokuba nomuzi omusha ngo-2008. Into yokuqala ayeyibeke eqhulwini kwakuwukwakha indawo ephephile yezingane zomphakathi, ezazingavikelekile ebudloveni nasebugebengwini. Namuhla le nkulisa nalesi sikole kuhlala abafundi abangu-350 abayizintandane noma abasengozini, kusuka ezinganeni ezisanda kuzalwa kuze kufike kuGrade R, ukuqinisekisa ukuthi lezi zingane zithola izidlo ezimbili ezinomsoco nsuku zonke kanye nesisekelo esiqinile ngaphambi kokuqala isikole samabanga aphansi.
Ngemuva kwesikole, kwakhiwa ikhishi, manje elisebenza ngohlelo lokuphakela unomphela olunikeza ukudla kabili ngosuku, izinsuku ezinhlanu ngesonto kulabo abaswele. Umsebenzi olandelayo kaDawn owawuzophothulwa kwakuwumtholampilo ohlome ngokuphelele futhi osebenza ngokuzithandela, ikhemisi kanye ne-ambulensi ye-4×4, etholakala amahora angu-24 nsuku zonke, okwenza ukunakekelwa kwezempilo kufinyeleleke emphakathini. Naphezu kwayo yonke imizamo yakhe, uDawn wayazi ukuthi imfundo eqhubekayo nokunakekelwa okuyisisekelo kwabantu abadala nakho kwakungekho emphakathini wangakubo. Ngenxa yalokhu kwaqalwa uhlelo lwe-Home Based Care, kwaqeqeshwa osonhlalakahle abazinikele ngokufundisa nokusiza ngempilo eyisisekelo ezingeni lasekhaya emphakathini.
I-Dawn’s hub ibuyisa ithemba liphinde lisize izinhlelo eziningi zokuthuthukisa amakhono ezisebenza njengeziheho zokuqashwa namathuba ezamabhizinisi. Inzuzo yemisebenzi yezandla ithengisiwe ibuyiselwa kuzimpahla zobuciko kanye nomphakathi wasendaweni owenza ubuciko. Lesi sikhungo sihlinzeka ngoqeqesho lwemfundo yabantu abadala. Umsebenzi wakhe uvunywe ngemiklomelo eminingi nokuhlonishwa.