How a modern-day fairy godmother is changing the lives of struggling students at this Cape Town university

They spark joy and hope with just a swoosh of a wand, breaking evil curses and conjuring up sparkly carriages to help stranded young girls get to the ball.

If you’ve read tales such as Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty you’ve probably fantasised about how wonderful it must be to have a fairy godmother who whirls in at the drop of a hat to fix all your problems.

But a university lecturer from Cape Town has a different take. Her fantasy isn’t to have a fairy godmother waiting on her hand and foot, but rather to be one.