21 May 2013

Chief poverty policy coordinator from the Office of the President (OP), Ms Kebabonye Molefhi has called on Batswana to embrace the notion of being compassionate towards the less-privileged.

Ms Molefhi said this during the handing-over ceremony of a house to a needy family in Botalaote/Toteng. She said if all Batswana and the various organisations doing work in the country could embrace the ideal of Vision 2016 of a compassionate, just and caring nation, the lives of many of the country’s less-privileged would without doubt change for the better.

Ms Molefhi said it was crucial for all to understand that they all had a role to play in improving the lives of their fellow countrymen and urged them to emulate Mr Dimakatso Mangombe, who came up with the project.

She said shelter was an important factor in the life of every person, hence President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s introduction of the Presidential Housing Appeal in 2010. Furthermore, Ms Molefhi pointed out that although some programmes were in place at the inception of the housing appeal, the initiative was brought on board with the view to give every Motswana an opportunity to play a role in improving the lives of others.

Ms Molefhi commended Mr Mangombe, a former nurse at Botalaote/Toteng clinic for taking to heart the plight of the less-fortunate members of the community in which he was working.

For his part, the beneficiary Mr Oagile Mooketsi expressed gratitude for the assistance. He said the act of benevolence shown to him was indeed humbling, especially that he had never in his life even dreamt of owning the kind of house that had been built for him.

The chairperson of the North East District Council, Mr City Kealotswe equally hailed Mr Mangombe for his sympathy to the Mooketsi family. Mr Kealotswe, who is also councillor for Mapoka, said provision of decent housing to those who needed it was a way of restoring their dignity, which was a fundamental element in the general well-being of any person.

In an interview, the 30-year-old Mr Mangombe of Tutume said he initiated the project and formed a committee comprising the Village Development Committee (VDC), the youth and other willing residents. He said the idea was to help equip the locals with the skills necessary to help them carry out other charitable acts in future.

He explained that the project, a two-roomed house, which started in September 2012 and was completed in February this year had cost approximately P60 000.

Mr Mangombe, who has since been transferred to Digawana, noted that although he had never carried out a project of this magnitude in the past, he had for a long time been involved in charitable acts.

He said during his stay in Botalaote/Toteng, he had also built a toilet for a one family in the village. His acts of compassion, he explained were fuelled by his desire to attain the ideals of being compassionate, which he said formed a strong basis of the nursing profession.

Mr Mangombe appealed to his age-mates to be compassionate, pointing out that since the youth formed the bulk of the population, it was important that they took their rightful positions in the fight towards eradicating poverty in the society. ENDS