BTA Rescues Tonota Family

By Patricia Maganu
Staff Writer | Monday August 25, 2008 00:00

MP for Tonota South, Pono Moatlhodi, found help from the BTA after learning about the plight of the family.

BTA, the founder of the project, will be working closely with the Village Development Committee (VDC), the MP and the District Commissioner's office, Tonota Brigades and the Tonota community.

In heavy rainstorms earlier this year, the Pelontle family found themselves without a home after the hut that they were sleeping in collapsed. 

They were then given six months accommodation by a 'Good Samaritan'. Six months has since elapsed and they have gone back to their one-roomed hut.

Galethuse and Agnes Pelontle are sisters with ten children and only one hut to sleep, cook and bath in. The Tonota community gathered at the groundbreaking ceremony to offer their support to the family on Monday morning.

BTA manager for communications, Thapelo Mogopa, says the BTA will fund the project but they will also seek help from the community.

'If everyone - the builders and the suppliers - is ready we will be ready to pay for the services so the house can be built quickly. If it can be as timely as possible it will be in everybody's best interest,' he added.

Mogopa said that BTA would pay for connection of water, fencing and a big toilet with a shower and the house.

Galethuse, could not contain her excitement at the thought of moving from sleeping in a small hut with 11 other people to a three-roomed house.

Tonota businessman, Abdur Rehman Bhamji, who supplies building materials, has also been brought on board in the project to provide building materials.

Other businessmen are also involved in the project to provide things like bricks, concrete and pit sand. Tonota DC, Pamela Hluli Nasha, said that projects like these are good for enhancing the dignity of the people who are receiving help.

'Development comes in many ways. There is developing the people, and developing in terms of infrastructure and in enhancing the dignity of the family. To make that person feel like a human being,' she said.

Nasha also said that Batswana should be taught to sustain themselves when they have received help.
'They should be involved in the development of this project. We are trying to teach a man how to fish not to give them fish,' she added. Nasha also commended Tonota Brigades for taking the project on.

'They are contributing very heavily to the development of Tonota,' she stated. The project is scheduled to start immediately and finish in less than a month.
Moatlhodi urged those involved to work at speed because these people did not have anywhere to stay.

He said that the VDC should work together with the other parties to get the project started and finished on time.