Kenneth Kobedi
17 November 2008
Maun's Motse wa Tsholofelo (The village of hope) has for a very long time now been home away from home for 46 little boys and girls aged from two to six years, most of them orphans.
Their stay at the centre is however brief as they are transported to the center every morning for short lessons and meals before they are taken back home to their guardians until the next day.
Motse wa Tsholofelo is also a place where these youngsters interact with their peers as well as their tutors who have volunteered, who have left their own families, to take care of them. Their daily schedule includes preparing them breakfast and lunch and taking them for lessons, at times going an extra mile to bathe and feed the young ones who do not even know why they are there and why they spend such a long time with people they hardly know.
A teacher at the centre, Tsalano Matlhasedi, says the centre, which started operating in 2000, was built by Masiela Trust Fund soon after the Tawana Land Board allocated organisers a suitable plot for the project. Masiela also provides an annual grant for the running of the centre at the beginning of each year. She said when the kids reach the age of six, they enrol them in local primary schools but still remain under the care of Motse wa Tsholofelo.
To prevent them from feeling isolated and stigmatised, they decided to mix orphaned children and others from disadvantaged families. Most of these children are unfortunate because they have never had the chance to see their biological parents, as some of their mothers, for example, died soon after giving birth.
They have also never been lucky to feel the warmth and the love of a parent, as is the case with other kids their age. On the other hand, some live under very harsh conditions in their respective homes, as they have been left under the care of their aged grandmothers or underage siblings. They only get the chance to smile every morning when they get to the centre. Some are however mature enough to understand their condition.
Project overseer at the centre, Gabatshwane Kgathi, says it has never been smooth sailing taking care of the children, more especially when donations are not forthcoming. He said they rely on donations from the Marang Child Project, the Rotary Club, the business community, council as well as the Department of Social and Community Services (S&CD).
"At the moment we are hopeful that donors will help us build a combined kitchen and dining hall, because as we speak, the kids are served their meals in the open air, which is unhygienic." Some of the donations they receive, such as the blankets that were recently donated by the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA), were given to the kids' guardians so as to keep them warm in winter.
This was after the management committee had made some occasional visits to the children's homes to check whether they were being well looked after. Care givers and/or guardians questioned on what criteria they use to see to it that the donated items are used by the rightful owners and whether employees at the centre do not grab them, Kgathi said since the establishment of the centre, they have been keeping records so they are able to monitor the flow of the gifts. " On the other hand, I feel we are blessed because we have people who are trustworthy - individuals who know why they are here and the people they serve.
It would be a disgrace to rob little children who cannot do anything for themselves." He said they would like to turn the centre into a boarding facility so the children could stay on campus but could not do so because of financial constraints. Meanwhile, the centre has been given mattresses and other equipment by various charitable organisations.
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