4 days ago
Limpopo woman Dineo Twala turns parents' home into disabled children's centre
A Limpopo woman has transformed her parents' house into a centre for children born with disabilities. Deep compassion and love for children motivated her to make a difference in their lives.
Thirty-year-old Dineo Thwala, from the rural village of Bothashoek, provides comfort to children who are permanently disabled and paralysed.
Her journey began with the challenge of caring for her sister's child, who was born with cerebral palsy and couldn't walk, talk, or sit. This experience led her to establish the Tshepo Foundation, 'Tshepo' being a Sepedi name meaning 'Hope.'
In 2019, Dineo's love for children blossomed into a fully-fledged centre. She started with a support group for parents of children born with disabilities.
'I encourage and teach other parents to train and exercise their children. I help them learn how to care for their children living with disabilities, using an app that outlines step-by-step methods to improve a disabled child's living conditions,' she explains.
Eight-year-old Dimakatso Nkadimeng is one of the children who received a special mobility device called a Madiba Buggy during the 67 minutes of Mandela Day celebration. The device helps restore mobility and dignity for children who can't sit properly, providing essential body and head support.
Unemployed young mothers Dikeledi Nkadimeng, 21, and Virginia Matlakala, 25, from Ga-Manoke village near Burgersfort, survive on their children's disability social grants. They stay at home and have struggled to find employment.
Matlakala told Drum magazine that seeing her child play with other children and finally attempt to speak has brought her joy after countless years of trying to get a wheelchair for her child.
'My child used to watch with envy as other children played together,' Matlakala said.
Dineo shared a success story: 'When Matlakala's daughter, Comfort, was first brought to the Tshepo Foundation, she was unable to do anything. Now she can speak, move around, and eat solid food without being selective about what she eats.'
Caring for people living with disabilities has always been challenging, but for unemployed Thwala, it has become a passion that has developed into a centre for those born with disabilities.
The centre operates from a house in her parents' backyard and cares for children with cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, osteogenesis imperfecta, and other disabilities.
'We face challenges such as lack of cleaning materials, transport, toiletries, and wheelchairs,' Dineo explains.
She continues to approach potential donors and funders, and her efforts are beginning to bear fruit. She also plans to secure land where she can build a proper centre for children living with disabilities.
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Many children depend on her centre for social contact with other kids living with similar conditions.
Thwala's advice to parents with disabled children is important: 'They often find themselves isolated at home because they literally have no one to communicate with. Here, they have a sense of belonging because we show them love and care.'
Most of these children come from disadvantaged families, and the centre provides them with two meals a day.
Thwala pleads for support from multidisciplinary professionals, including physiotherapists and occupational therapists, to volunteer their therapeutic expertise. This training would help improve the lives of those living with disabilities.
