“Youth must take care of elders” - 1st lady

The grannies and young beneficiaries at the Elim Hlanganani Society for the Care of the Aged were honoured with a visit by the office of the First Lady of the Limpopo province, Mrs Maggie Mathabatha, last Tuesday.

The society welcomed Mathabatha and a delegation from the Red Cross with song and dance. The team said that they had decided to come and spend the day with the elderly. “I am in particular honoured and grateful to spend a day with the aged, the disabled people and the youths who are involved in poverty-alleviation projects here today,” she said. “The aim of our visit is to come here and enjoy the gift of life with you as we demonstrate the qualities of ubuntu.”

She then spoke against the abuse of the elderly and urged all youngsters to stop making life hell for the elderly by snatching their old-age social grant. “Our mothers and grandmothers, keep your social grant monies safer,” she said. “Use that money to buy yourself fruits, fried chicken, ice cream and other delicious treats which you might not have enjoyed when you were raising us and taking us through school.”

Mathabatha told the people about the Limpopo First Lady Trust, which helps needy children and indigent people. She said, even though the trust had limited funds, the door for help was always open.

The representative of the Red Cross, Mr George Mamabolo, said that the organisation dealt with poverty and disasters and crises by bringing relief to the affected people or communities. “The vision of the Elim Hlanganani Society for the Care of the Aged is in line with our vision of taking help where it is needed most,” he said. The team brought the grannies blankets, feet wrappers and socks.

Elim Hlanganani Society for the Care of the Aged’s director, Ms Florence Khosa, expressed the society’s happiness and gratitude towards the visitors. She even referred to Mathabatha as “our makoti” (bride) as a way of showing appreciation for her visit. 
“We ask you to visit us again and again,” she said.

Another elderly lady, Ms Georginah Machume (81), said that she lacked words to express her joy. “Your gesture of kindness has given us renewed strength to do good in our old age.”

Date:23 July 2015

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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