Bright young Adivhaho Mafuna in desperate need of help

The dreams of a bright and promising pupil at Mphephu Secondary School could soon be in tatters if she does not get help.

Grade 10 pupil Adivhaho Mafuna (17) of Ha Makatu in the Nzhelele area in Limpopo hopes to be a lawyer someday. However, since she was three, she has been in pain as her left foot developed a swelling that makes her life a misery.

She walks with difficulty and wearing her school uniform has become a mammoth task as she has to be helped to put on her trousers.

“I have to wake up early to walk slowly to school. Sometimes it swells so much that I cannot even wear a shoe.”

Additionally, because of the swelling, her performance in class has been affected as she has developed an inferiority complex. Unfortunately, other pupils sometimes make jokes about her, which is painful for her to hear, she said.

Now the girl is making an impassioned plea for help out of her misery.

Mpho Mavhungu of Rabali Resource Centre, who said she met Mafuna while she was going to school, alerted this paper. “I could see she was in pain but could do nothing to help her,” Mavhungu said. 

Adivhaho's mother, Hildah Nevhutalu, said her daughter's pain started when the girl developed a swelling on her left foot. “I took her to hospital, where she was operated on and soon healed, but not long after that, the swelling began again. Thinking that we would get help, I took her back to the hospital, where they operated on her and she was healed for a short period again,” she added.

After realizing that doctors could not heal her completely, Nevhutalu took the girl to traditional healers but they too could not help and said they could not see anything. Her condition has since been diagnosed as cancer.

“Friends advised me to take the girl to the prophets, who could not help either. I am now confused because my daughter is in pain and her condition is worsening day by day. I have done all I can to help her and have lost a fortune trying to get her healed, but nothing seems to work. I am so stressed and helpless. I really need help, so that my daughter can return to normal - the beautiful girl that I know,” she said. 

Those wishing to assist can do so by contacting the girl's mother at 076 519 0311.

Date:28 May 2015

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

Read: 2269