Early Christmas for two orphaned school children
17 December 2012
“Human Settlements intervenes to their squalor conditions”
Christmas will come much earlier for two orphans from Metsi Village in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. The 19 year old orphan whose a mother of a 1-year old child and her young pregnant sibling showed emotions when the Department of Human Settlements’ officials led by the Corporate Services Chief Director, Ms Pontso Mabelane and other stakeholders symbolically laying bricks to their house. The exercise to build a house for the orphans is a gesture to mark the end of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign of No violence against women and children.
The two orphans whose parents died few years ago were staying with neighbours during heavy rains in January this year as the one room depilated mud house was likely to be blown away by the storm.
”I can’t believe that we will now have a place to call home after for so long, we are so extremely happy with the intervention of the Department in building a house for us. My ambition is to become a social worker so that I will be able to assist people who will be experiencing what I went through as a child headed orphan” said the 19 year old Philly Nthane with teary eyes.
Ian Mackenzie High School’s employee, Ms Phumla Nyathi, who identified the orphans and requested the department to intervene in building a house for them, was so delighted to see the department building the house as it only took a week for her request to be approved. The local municipality, traditional council, and the school played a significant part in ensuring that the dream of owning a house for the orphans becomes a success. The department started the campaign by building a house for a 23-year old abuse victim at Verena D, in the Thembisile Local Municipality.
The department relied mostly on referrals done by the Department of Social Development on cases of domestic and other forms of violence against women and children.
“The intervention by the department will to a great extent ensure that victims of abuse are supported in all forms and their dignity restored”, quipped Mabelane.
Both houses are expected to be completed before Christmas day, giving them befitting reason to smile. The campaign focuses on encouraging society to confront the scourge of domestic and other forms of abuse against children and women and increase the level of awareness against any form of abuse.
Issued by the Department of Human Settlements, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
