Told she had “no quality of life,” Ronelle Samuel turned her pain into purpose, building a thriving senior community that now connects thousands across KwaZulu-Natal.
When Life Said “No,” She Said “Watch Me”
In 2020, while the world was trying to make sense of COVID, Ronelle Samuel from Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, was facing her own life-changing moment.
After a long illness, she was placed on disability pension. In her specialist’s report were the words, “no quality of life.”
Those words could have stayed with her. They could have defined everything that came next.
But Ronelle made a quiet, powerful decision. If quality of life was not something she was going to be given, then it was something she would create.
A Loss That Opened Her Eyes
In June 2023, Ronelle lost her best friend of forty years. Grief has a way of slowing everything down, of making you notice things you may not have seen before.
What she began to notice was loneliness. Not just her own, but the kind so many people her age were living with every day. Children had moved away. Partners had passed on. Retirement had slowly shrunk once-busy lives into long, quiet days.
It was not always spoken about, but it was there.
It Started With an Invitation
At the time, Ronelle was part of a small group of eight people who met now and then. She started inviting others to join. Before long, they were eighteen.
What stood out to her was how willing people were to come. No one needed convincing. People just needed someone to take the first step. So she did. She organised a breakfast.
Around the same time, she prayed and asked the Lord to help her find purpose again. After retiring due to ill health, she had felt like she no longer had a role to play. That one small step began to change that.
Something Bigger Begins
On 22 August 2023, at the suggestion of one of the ladies in the group, Ronelle started the Greater Durban Senior Social Group on Facebook. Within three days, 72 people had joined.
By the end of November, there were 500 members, and Ronelle found herself organising three different Christmas events.
By December, the group had grown to 1,200 members. It was no longer something she could manage alone, so she brought together a committee to help.
The group had started quietly, with members joining by invitation only. Even so, it kept growing.
A Community Takes Shape
Today, the group has grown into something remarkable. There are 3,800 members on Facebook and 943 on WhatsApp. Gatherings take place across Durban, Pietermaritzburg and the South Coast, supported by 18 hosts and hostesses. What began as one breakfast has become a calendar filled with regular events each month. But the heart of it has always been connection.
More Than Just Social Events
Over time, the group became more than a place to meet for coffee or a meal. It became a space where people could support one another. There is a music lovers group where members share songs that bring back memories. There is a prayer group for those who need spiritual support. There is a caring group for people walking through loss.
And for those who live alone, there is a buddy system. Someone checks in. Someone makes sure you are okay.
Sometimes that is all it takes to change a day.
Giving Back Together
One of the initiatives closest to Ronelle’s heart is called “Bless a Child.” Each Christmas, members are given the details of a child in an orphanage. They buy gifts and essentials, making sure that child feels seen and cared for during the festive season. It is a simple idea, but a powerful one.
Creating What Was Missing
What Ronelle built did not come from a grand plan. It came from noticing a need, taking a step, and inviting others along. She was once told she had no quality of life. Today, she has helped create a community where thousands of people feel connected, supported, and part of something again. And it all started with a decision not to accept someone else’s definition of her life.
Connection starts here
YEI celebrates Ronelle and the incredible journey she has taken in bringing 55-plussers across KwaZulu-Natal together in such a meaningful way. If you are based in KZN, we encourage you to join her growing community.
The You’ve Earned It Hub is built on exactly this kind of connection. In the YEI Hub, there are already groups connecting people in the Cape Town Southern Suburbs, Pretoria and Johannesburg East. If you are in another area and have been thinking about starting something similar, consider this your invitation. Whether it’s a simple coffee meet-up or a breakfast, YEI will support you every step of the way.
Sign up here for the YEI Hub
Sign up here for the Greater Durban Senior Social Group
A YEI article
