05 Apr 2017

Public officers based in Selebi Phikwe under the Ministry of Defence Justice and Security and the Ministry of Health and Wellness recently joined forces to renovate a two-and-a-half house that Ms Kgotsong Obonetse and her family lives in.

Ms Obonetse’s family comprises four children and two grandchildren. Two of her children aged 27 and 29 years respectively are both living with disabilities.

Employees from the two ministries contributed money from their pockets to re-paint the house, install new windows that were shattered and broken doors and also did the plumbing works.

Further, they replaced damaged water pipes that were leaking in the bathroom and the broken toilet that was in the house with a new one.

In an interview, Senior Superintendent Takongwa Mazwiduma said the move was in response to President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s call to give dignity to fellow citizens by providing them with decent shelter. He said the move was also in line with the Vision 2016 pillar of ‘A compassionate and Caring Nation.’

 “We identified the Obonetse family because there were members living with disabilities and because the house they were living in was dilapidated. By the time we identified the family, the toilet seat in the bathroom was broken, pipes were broken and leaking water was everywhere, doors were broken while windows were shattered including other households,” he said.

He said they decided to clean the yard of the homestead, make some renovations and hand over some donations. He thanked employees who dug into their pockets to raise funds for the project.

For his part Eastern Military Garrison (EMG) Commander Lt Col Sabatha Sanako told BOPA in an interview that the project was conceived as a community service day project. He said the move was in line with the call from the highest office in the land that government departments should go out and help needy families in society.

“The committee that was headed by Mr  Mazwiduma identified the family who have men in their late twenties mentally and physically challenged and rely on the mother to feed them, clothe them, bathe them and move them around.

She was facing a difficult time more so because she could not raise funds to renovate the house due to the fact that she is unemployed,” he said.

He said the EMG used their plumbers, and painters to assist in the project. “Civil servants under the two ministries also made monetary contributions from their pockets to realise the project.

Charity begins at home and as military personnel or civil servants we saw the need to play a role in uplifting the lives of Batswana by starting in Phikwe and going out to other communities residing in the town,” he said.

He explained that it was not the first time for EMG to help less privileged people in the society as the EMG soccer team, Garrison Kicks, earlier on raised P16 000 to purchase school shoes, socks and tracksuits for children in the Mapakate community based behind the EMG camp.

He went on to implore the business community and other members of the Selebi Phikwe community to either individually or collectively help less privileged families in society.

The matron from the Selebi Phikwe DHMT, Ms Boineelo Moalosi said they helped in assessing the Obonetse family to find out how they could be assisted looking at the needs of the disabled family members.

She said they also played a role in cleaning the yard, painting the house and replacing windows as well as doors so that the family lives in a conducive environment.

“As Batswana we are compassionate and caring people, and we need to continue helping the needy and disabled people in our society,” she said.

In  the meantime, Superintendent Victor Nlebesi told BOPA that besides the renovation of the house, Dailyneeds Super Market, Hotel Selebi, Stone House Hotel, Reliable Wholesalers, Design Furnitures and members of the Muslim Church made donation in kind ranging from clothing, blankets, nappies, grocery and money amounting to P1900, while Ms Ewetse Kgosimpe donated a wheel chair. ENDS