Kwa-Thema – Bathandeni Special Needs Care Centre has been a registered special needs care centre for children and adults living with disabilities for the past nine years.
Florah Kgomare registered the centre in 2014 and began operating from a garage in February 2015.
Kgomare recently won a Thabang Xaba community award under the disability category for the work she has been doing in the community. The centre moved to different places before they eventually began operating from Ext 3.
They help people living with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, mental illnesses, blindness and others. The centre caters to 15 disabled individuals ranging from the ages of 10 to 45.
“We realised the community still needs to educate themselves about different disabilities. They only classify disabled patients as disabled without specifying the kind of condition the person has,” she said.
Kgomare, along with her colleague, Julia Makalenge, said they aim to enhance the community’s knowledge of disabilities and to eradicate the stigma surrounding them. They both studied ancillary nursing and share a common goal of bettering the lives of disabled people.
The centre operates in a shack which, according to Kgomare, can be challenging to reach during rainy seasons.
“When it rains, the water remains stagnant outside our centre and that causes issues for us. We have tried for years to get funding to build our structure at a more suitable site and to build a bigger centre.
“That has been our greatest challenge, and our only wish is to have the centre in a better environment,” Kgomare said.
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Makalenge revealed disabled people are often overlooked in society.
“They cannot communicate their needs themselves so we become their voice. We can figure out what is wrong and then find a solution to the problem.”
She explained their goal is to have a permanent home for the disabled.
“We want it to become a top centre where we will work with health professionals to conduct regular check-ups,” she said.
They requested the community to donate sanitary pads, clothing, food or blankets. Anyone interested can contact Kgomare on 060 344 9260.
