New Home For Mathako Man's Family Of 15
Spira Tlhankane | Monday July 23, 2018 13:15
The organisers of Born and Raised Festival in conjunction with Bodulo Jwa Morena Apolistic Church handed over a home to him on Saturday.
Gaotlhomolwe Taratiso could not hide his smile after so many years of suffering living in abject overty. When he officially accepted the house, Taratiso said it was God’s will that Bodulo Jwa Morena Apolistic Church and Born and Raised came to him and offered to build a house for him and his family.
“I didn’t have a goat, a chicken, a cat or anything. I was basically useless and at times I felt that I must be the worst destitute in the world,” he said.
Taratiso said after his wife died the only thing that kept him going was his children.
“I was hopeless because I struggled to feed, clothe and provide a roof over my family. Now thanks to these Good Samaritans, my children can finally sleep in a modern day house,” he expressed.
Bodulo Jwa Morena Apolistic Church chairperson, Solomon Ntshekisang, said after finding Taratiso’s family in abject poverty, they managed to approach Born and Raised for help and they were happy to be part of the selfless project.
“One of our members who works at Lewis Stores managed to help us source donations. We were successful and they indeed managed to give us two beds and a stove,” he said.
Ntshekisang said some of their members from Mathako village volunteered to build the house without pay. “Everyone took part in building this house, and we wish to continue with such in future projects as this,” he said. For his part, the director of Born and Raised Molatedi Kgotla said the money they made from last year’s festival was used to build the house. “Our mandate is good health, better shelter and education. Last year we donated graduation gowns and computers to Botalaote School in Serowe,” he said.
Kgotla said when Bodulo Jwa Morena Apolistic Church invited them to see the conditions the Taratiso family was living under they came to Mathako only to shed tears.
“A family of 15 was living in a shelter normally used for cooking or bathing. We went back and gathered everything that we had to see to it that the Taratiso family got a roof over their heads,” he said.
The house was officially handed over by the Member of Parliament for Sefhare- Ramokgonami, Dorcas Makgato who thanked Bodulo Jwa Morena Apolistic Church and Born and Raised for not waiting on anyone, but rather standing up for such a cause.
“I also want to acknowledge the role and relevance of the church in the community. Even though you haven’t constructed a church building for yourself, you found it necessary to start by building a house for the Taratiso family. That is a blessing,” she said. The Taratiso family’s new house is a two and a half-roomed abode with two bedrooms and a kitchen.