The scorching African sun cast its relentless rays upon the dusty streets of Johannesburg, where a single mother named Thandiwe and her young daughter, Nia, hurriedly made their way through the bustling market. Thandiwe, a woman of striking beauty with ebony skin and cascading curls, clenched her daughter's tiny hand tightly, her heart pounding with unease.

Thandiwe had been living in a small, cramped apartment in one of the city's run-down neighborhoods for the past year.