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Tonota Sub-District Council rescues homeless orphans

The council is constructing a two bed-roomed house with a sitting room, kitchen and toilet for the family, headed by 17 year-old, Winnet Vambe at their residence in Mpatane ward in Borolong.

Their one-roomed house was burnt to ashes whilst they were at school last year.

Vambe takes care of her three young brothers - the eldest in Form Three at Tlhalogang Junior Secondary School, the middle in Standard Seven and the last born in Standard Four at Borolong Primary School.  

On Tuesday, Mmegi paid the children a visit and found excitement with workers dashing about constructing the house.

The children expressed hope that soon they will have a place to call home and no longer have to stay in the neighbour’s yard.

Asked about the house, senior assistant council secretary of Tonota Sub-District Council Terrence Ntalabgwe said after receiving the report about the children’s tragedy, they deemed it necessary to construct them a house.

He said the house will cost between P90,000 to P100,000 and is almost complete.

While a burning candle is said to have caused the fire, Ntalabgwe said electrifying the house would depend on their budget.

“If we can have returns from construction of the house, then we can think of electrifying it, but as for now we cannot promise them that,’ he said.

He said that they are currently looking at the basic needs like a water system in the toilet.

“We have so many projects around the district. This is not the only construction as we are building quite a number of houses for the needy and orphans in the area. Therefore, we do not have enough money,”

 said Ntalabgwe.

The young caregiver, Vambe expressed happiness, describing the council as Godsend in their hour of need.

“This (the house) is the most important thing in our lives,” she said, adding that, “We are currently accommodated by our neighbours Lameck Setobeko and his wife. They are treating us like their own children but we wanted to stay in our mother’s yard. This is the gift we never thought we would receive.”

She also thanked those who contributed clothes and school uniforms after the tragedy and promised to take care of the house.

''We were left with only school uniforms that we were wearing that day our house was burnt down but members of the community gave us clothes. I thank them profusely for the love and support they showed to us during difficult times,” she said.