#CaxtonCares: Support groups at Witkoppen Clinic help mums to upskill

Motherhood is both the toughest and most rewarding job in the world but being a single mother can feel very lonely and uncertain.

Cuddlers, the Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre and the Fourways Review, under the banner of Caxton Cares, recognised this and teamed up to create a safe place for moms to connect with each other and develop skills on how to properly take care of young children and keep them safe and healthy.

Mothers and their little ones were welcomed with an array of sandwiches for a light lunch and, on completion of the session, mums received an attendance certificate showing what they have learnt.

One of the participants, Mpho Tsukudu, started attending the support group in September last year after the birth of her second son.

“Hlonolofatso was born full term, but with a problem: He was born without a tongue and with a few ribs missing.”

Caring for a special needs child has been challenging, and Tsukudu said that the support group has become a safe place for her to talk about problems she faces in motherhood and to get support from others.

“The group definitely helped,” she told the Fourways Review. “[After Hlonolofatso was born] I was alone and wasn’t talking about what I was experiencing, I was just going to the hospital and talking to doctors.

“The group became a place where I could talk about things.”

Teboho Katze, the business development manager at Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre, believes in the power of education. “We are so proud to see big brands partnering together and paying it forward to help and support the mothers in need,” Katze said.

Murray Booth, the marketing executive of Cuddlers, expressed how thrilled he is to be part of this initiative that will upskill and empower these moms.

“It was such a humbling experience for the Cuddlers team to meet these incredible women and hear their stories,” said Booth.

Ana Cardoso, a breastfeeding counsellor from Portugal and volunteer at the Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre, is passionate about creating a safe place for women of all nationalities to come to learn about and celebrate the milestones of their babies.

“This is a great group where mothers come together to share their experiences and know that they are not alone,” she said.

Care Project is devoted to uplifting and developing skills within the community and has partnered with the Witkoppen Clinic to conduct skills development sessions with women once a month.

Joseph Zondi is the director of Care Project, a self-supportive community organisation based in Pineslopes.

“We at Care Project have a calling to make a difference within the community; to bring a better life to others and restore human dignity through social upliftment,” said Zondi.

Care Project aims to assist the community in three primary ways: Career coaching, community skills training and creative arts.

The next session will take place on 9 May at 10:30am at Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre, 105 William Nicol Drive.

Details: WhatsApp Fhumulani Makhera 065 936 0559.