New home and hope for family of 25
The mud house in which the family has been living. Picture: Supplied
THE JOHN Taolo Gaetsewe Developmental Trust (JTGDT) has pledged to build a decent home for a family in Gamasepa, near Kuruman, after their dire living conditions were highlighted.
The family of 25 has been enduring life in a small mud house for years, without IDs or birth certificates, which has deprived them of access to support grants and education.
The Trust accepted an invitation from the Baga-Jantjie Traditional Council to participate in their Mandela Day programme on July 18 in Gamasepa village, under the Joe Morolong municipal jurisdiction.
As part of the day’s programme, a delegation from the Trust and the Baga-Jantjie Traditional Council visited the family.
Moved by the devastating and sorry state of affairs, the CEO of JTGDT Tumelo Mpolokeng, committed to building the family a decent house, as part of the annual Nelson Mandela Day humanitarian and welfare initiatives.
Deeply moved by their dire living conditions, JTGDT CEO Tumelo Mpolokeng pledged to build the family a decent house as part of the Trust’s annual Nelson Mandela Day humanitarian initiatives.
Additionally, the Trust received clothing donations from Ackermans Stores for the family.
To further support the family’s well-being, the Trust has initiated plans to urgently seek intervention from stakeholders like the Department of Home Affairs to provide IDs and birth certificates for undocumented family members.
Additionally, the Trust and Baga-Jantjie have committed to engaging with institutions such as the Department of Social Development and Sassa to secure the necessary support to alleviate their extreme poverty.
The Trust will also intensify efforts to involve other government departments such as Education and Health for urgent assistance to the family. Additionally, the Trust has called for corporate and community sponsorships to further support the family’s needs.
Mpolokeng said the initiative aligns with the Mandela Day theme: "It is in your hands to make our world a better one for all, especially the poor, vulnerable and marginalised."
“The actions of today, as demonstrated by the Baga-Jantjie Traditional Council, Ackermans and the JTG Developmental Trust, signify the power of individuals and organisations to positively impact communities in need and advance Mandela’s values - of fighting injustice and helping people overcome their challenges, no matter how great or small,” said Mpolokeng.
He added that the Trust “remains committed to driving high-impact sustainable change and making every day a Mandela Day”.
