05 Oct 2016

 Often times when a misfortune falls on people, they begin to wonder how they will survive their tests.
Time has always be said to be the healer and Mr Otlaadisa Semokona of Pitseng can attest to that.
After survivning a borehole accident that left him with one leg, he is a living testimony that disability is not inability.
Mr Semokona, who is currently working in a contruction company, engaged to build Diamond Mall in Jwaneng is attracting a lot stares from people who wonder how he does his job with only one leg.
The young lad uses a walking crush to support his leg and quickly loads a number of wheelbarrows to the amazement of onlookers.
His story of survival is quite a touching, yet inspirational one.
All started in 1999 at a borehole at Tlanege lands near Ralekgetho settlement where he went with his peers to water livestock.
While playing with his peers, he fell in the borehole and his other leg was trapped between the wooden walls.
He was  taken to the hospital where the damaged leg was amputated.
Though he was 15 years at the time, he has never set foot at school.
Ever since his ordeal, he said he has worked hard to make ends meet.
Though, he currently resides in Jwaneng due to the construction piece job he is doing, back home in Pitseng he is known to be a shoe repairer of repute.
His father, Mr Tonkana Semokona said in an interview that his son, Otlaadisa’s magic hands could turn an old, torn shoe into a brand new one.
He said his son only needs machinery and a market to operate a shoe clinic.
“He is a multi-tasker who believes in making money through his hands,” his father said.
“I also design donkey laces using leather and tyre and sell them to make a living,” Otlaadisa added. .
Life is not easy though, he is forced to live through heavy, yet hand to mouth small jobs which include field fencing and cutting grass in Jwaneng.
However, he is currently waiting to be assisted with small stock through the Poverty Eradication Programme.
The 32-year-old said he was assisted with an artificial leg some years back and it later broke down and he was forced to go back to using walking crushes and he is waiting for a good samaritan who could help him with another artificial leg.       Through it all, he has proved to be a hard worker who needs no supervision in everything he does.  
He said he wakes up every day to make ends meet and spends some of his earnings on buying walking crushes.
His father, who is his sole care-taker is worried that Otlaadisa is not getting any assistance to buy artificial leg.
Nonetheless, Mr Semokona is proud that Otlaadisa has worked tirelessly for the past 17 years to  feed himself. ENDS