The mother Theresa of Rankoromane

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Monday July 5, 2010 00:00

The adage 'disability is not inability' can never be made truer than by this 30 year-old special-needs teacher at Camphill School in Otse, as she simply sees them as having abilities different from other people; as some of these people can sweep floors or make pottery with one hand.

She strikes one as a hyper-energetic individual, and she found it fitting to channel this abundant energy towards helping children with disabilities unearth their 'extraordinary abilities'.

Medube says these children are  extraordinary as they can perform tasks that even she cannot do.

'I don't see them as different because some of them can perform some tasks more diligently than people regarded as normal,' she says.

Medube was propelled by her love and passion for children to work with these young charges in 1998 after their performances in functions held at the Kgotla left her captivated.

The ability they have despite being regarded as disabled grew her interest in them and as a loving person she saw it best to work to improve their lot. While at Legodimo, as a daily-living activities and life-skills teacher together with being a house mother, she realised that she understood them. It was from them that she went to Dula Sentle where she worked with orphaned children.

She then returned to Camphill to continue her mission-giving love and making this sector of the population that has been neglected more appreciated.

However, she says working with people with disabilities is not for the faint-hearted. She sums it up as a calling rather than a job, which calls for love, patience and dedication.

'I remember when I used to sleep with the children as a house mother, at times some of these children could not sleep at night and that saddened me, ' she says.

She further says people with disabilities are loving and need nothing more than  love in return. The challenge, she says, comes with the fact that a number of these children have a condition called Autism which affects psychological development hence making dealing with them a bit challenging.

Medube says they possess lots of energy which makes them 'a bit difficult' but with the tons of energy she possesses she manages to handle even the most difficult of the children.

However, her somewhat loud character was dismissed as not being rightful to handle children with Autism, but as time passed on she says the teaching staff started seeing that she could better handle them as evidenced by being in good terms with even those she was not teaching.

She is quick to say that they are sensitive people who get scared easily when someone talks to them without looking at them, or touching them when they are not aware and even clothes tags make them uncomfortable. 

'Whatever you communicate with them, it is always best to look them in their eyes,' she says. She adds that she does not perceive hers as a job because doing so would seem to be about the money which would totally make her mission very difficult as she feels like family with these children.

'These children are family to me,' says the mother of two.

She encourages parents to be open about children with disabilities as hiding them from the world is injustice not only to them but the creator as well.

'Hiding these children is like hiding from God,' she says.

Medube says there are structures in place these days to improve the living conditions of people with disabilities which can also make them active citizens who could contribute through the special skills they learn in centres like Legodimo.

She would like to be trained in the field of special education and speech therapy so that she can make a better contribution to the lives of these children.

She is loving and very cheerful. Above all she puts God before her and she believes the mandate that has been bestowed upon her to make 'extraordinary talent' grow.

She leads songs of praise, she blows the vuvuzela and the children gather around her asking for more of the plastic horn.

The children respond to her velvet voice, and one can easily tell that the singing is core to their daily lives. They make sounds of these songs, and knowing how they communicate, she takes over the lead and the hall breaks into jubilation.