Housemother Stienie Oberholzer of Huis Thandi has lost her heart to approximately 300 babies in the 20 years that she had been part of the organisation.
Huis Thandi is a haven for babies who have been abandoned and need a temporary place of safety.
“Being a house mother is not an easy task as you have to give unconditional love and expect none in return.”
Oberholzer explained that her decision to take on the task was influenced by her friend who was a house mother in 1999.
Before she embarked on the journey she prayed about it for a year and in 2000 she started the journey of giving love and affection to all the babies that were brought to the organisation.
“When I look into the eyes of the babies that come here and see the love that they give, I realised that I could not stop doing it.”
Huis Thandi is registered to house 12 babies from birth to three years old. Currently, they have nine under their care.
With the assistance of two day helpers and one night shift worker, they were able to make the babies as comfortable as they could under the circumstances.
She highlighted that there is nothing more satisfying than watching the babies sit on their own for the first time, being there for their first step and words, or even when they can absorb what they are taught.
“This is a job where you need to be available 24/7 as there are emergencies during odd hours and this had occurred on multiple occasions.
“The hardest part is when the babies die due to illness or other underlying issues, as well as having to say goodbye to them when they leave the facility as we do spend a lot of time with them.”
Apart from being a house mother, Oberholzer is a mother to three of her children and one foster child as well as a grandmother to four grandchildren.
She has no plans of retiring soon as she said she is still fit and healthy, with a heart willing to give love when needed.
“Your heart needs to be in it or you will never be able to continue doing this, but you need to remember that you cannot change everyone.
“However, making a difference in one child’s life makes it all worth it,” she concluded.
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