29 Jun 2017

In one morning of 1976, the then Minister of Finance and Development Planning Sir Ketumile Masire popped at Camphill Community Trust at Otse unannounced.

 

Back then it was uncommon for a minister to just pass by an institution and interact with its staff. That was Sir Ketumile Masire, loving, kind, jovial and able to mix with people from all corners of life with easy.

 

“He was very kind, and we were impressed by his visit,” said Mr Andres Groth who is the director of Camphill Community Trust, which provides vocation education for people with disabilities. 

 

“It was very humble beginning of our school and he supported us with cash, “he said remembering the fallen statesman, who was there to give support to his wife, who had a passion of working with non-governmental organisations. 

 

At that time, people living with disabilities faced more challenges than today, mainly being neglected by families and such a visit was an emotional boost to the Trust founders. 

 

From the visit, Mr Groth was impressed by Sir Ketumile’s humility, love and ability to easily interact with everyone.

 

“We were impressed that he was friendly, jovial and very relaxed around people,” said Mr Groth adding that later on Lady Olebile Masire would become a board member of the Trust with the support of Sir Ketumile until her demise in 2013. 

 

Although Sir Ketumile was never a frequent visitor to the Trust, the Camphill community continued to enjoy the warmness of the love and humility from the family through the works of the Late First Lady. 

 

And when Legodimo Youth Training, which is a division of Camphill Community Trust, honoured the former First Lady and named hostel after her, it was a moment that Sir Ketumile was eager not to miss. 

 

“He was happy to accept our invitation and had no hesitation to come here,” he said. 

 

And during the interaction, Sir Ketumile was still abreast with the works of the Trust which showed he had keen interest with the works of his wife and has never detached Camphill from his heart. 

Camphill Community Trust is an Otse based Camphill Community Trust, which operates three division of Motse wa badiri, Legodimo and Rankoromane, to provide special training and skills development for people with disabilities. ENDS