For Mpho Molebatsi, helping vulnerable children is more than community work. It is a reflection of a childhood she knows too well.
The 43-year-old Phatsima, Rustenburg resident lost her mother when she was just 16 years old.
At the time, her youngest sibling was only three.Six months after their mother’s burial, their father abandoned the family, leaving Mpho to take on responsibilities far beyond her years.She suddenly had to become a sister, mother and father to her younger siblings.“We were struggling a lot,” Mpho recalls.
Despite the difficult circumstances, she refused to allow her situation to destroy her future. After completing matric at Khayalethu High School, she began volunteering at Phatsima Clinic in 2003 as a caregiver.At the time, caregivers were involved in observing tuberculosis patients through the Directly Observed Treatment Supporters (DOTS) programme.Together with other caregivers, Mpho also became involved in a vegetable garden at the clinic. The garden became more than just a community project. For Mpho, it became a lifeline.The money generated from the garden helped her feed her siblings and buy essential items such as toiletries and school uniforms.Her own experiences of growing up without enough food, proper school clothing and basic necessities remained deeply rooted in her heart.
“I know the pain of going to school with a torn uniform and sneakers, with an empty stomach. I know the pain of sleeping hungry for days and missing school because you don’t have sanitary towels,” she says.
Those experiences eventually inspired her to think beyond her own family.Mpho wanted to create something that could help children facing the same hardships she had experienced.
In 2009, she founded Itekeng Home Based Care, which is registered as a non-profit organisation with the Department of Social Development.What began from personal pain has grown into a community-focused organisation supporting vulnerable children, child-headed families and persons with disabilities.Itekeng Home Based Care provides assistance ranging from school uniforms, sanitary towels, stationery, clothing and food parcels to helping learners with homework and school projects.
The organisation also empowers people with disabilities through skills development programmes, including sewing, beading and carpentry.Its work extends beyond material support. Through boot camps and boy and girl guide programmes, young people are given opportunities to discuss issues such as bullying, respect, hygiene and discipline.Mpho says the organisation works with various government departments and community stakeholders to ensure that beneficiaries receive appropriate support.
Among its collaborations is work with the Department of Social Development and the Department of Education, including the LSPID programme for learners with severe to profound intellectual disabilities.Professionals such as psychologists, physiotherapists, teachers and doctors are involved in assessing beneficiaries.Mpho has also continued investing in her own development. She is a qualified Early Childhood Development practitioner and has completed courses in project management, human resource management, office administration and ancillary healthcare.
Her journey is a reminder that adversity does not always have the final word.The young girl who was forced to grow up quickly after losing her mother has become a woman dedicated to creating opportunities for children who are experiencing the struggles she once knew personally.
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