Cresta Bosele hosts letlhafula fest for charity
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday August 17, 2018 13:28
The disability is in such a way that both her feet are inside out, hence she needs continued operations and physiotherapy. Her 41-year-old mother, Sephiwe Johnson is economically challenged and survives on odd jobs to support her four children. As a result of the family’s economic hardships, Angela’s mother has not been able to honour all the check-ups that Angela was booked for because she could not afford the bus fares from Selebi-Phikwe to Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital in Francistown.
Since birth, she honoured only three check-ups and missed the one that recommended that she secure specialised shoes for her condition.
“I have since abandoned the idea of the specialised pair of shoes after the ones she was provided with got deformed and worn out because I cannot afford another pair. “So my daughter currently uses normal pairs that she wears out frequently because of her condition,” she said.
As a result of missed check-ups, Angela has not received proper physiotherapy for a long time and has not received any medical reviews since 2010, according to her mother.
She did her first operation at nine months and the second one in 2009. “The midwife informed me of Angela’s condition immediately after delivery and I got so stressed.
However, I regained strength and accepted and embraced her as she is. She only started walking at three years and this consoled me that she can be mobile even without a specialised pair of shoes,” she said. She has been registered with the social welfare office and is awaiting assessment. In her condition, Angela is a courageous girl who attends a normal primary school and walks to and from school everyday.
Her disability does not deter her from playing and socialising with her peers, though she constantly reports of being mocked by her friends. Her elder brother is visually challenged and partially hearing-impaired, and council assists him with transport for medical attention so that his academic work is not affected.
Cresta Bosele’s guest relations officer, Tshepo Sebeela said they hold Letlhafula Cultural Festival annually to give back to the disadvantaged members of the community.
She said so many people have benefitted in the past through the assistance of the youth office.
“This year, we are meeting the needs of Angela Johnson who is disabled in both legs, but only managed to get two operations since birth.
“She could not conclude the recovery processes because she was unable to visit the physiotherapist in Francistown due to financial challenges.
“She needs transport money to visit the physiotherapist in Nyangabgwe to restart and finish the recovery procedure and also get the specially designed shoes,” she said.
Cresta Bosele’s eighth annual edition of the Letlhafula festival will be held in August 25, 2018 at the hotel and is expected to feature live performances from Culture Spears, Gong Master and Kalatsakgale amongst others.
Minister Nonofo Molefhi is expected to grace the event. Attendees would be treated to traditional cuisine, traditional games and a fashion show to showcase traditional attire. There would also be stalls to showcase young Batswana entrepreneurial skills in sculpturing, beading and painting.