Tumelo Home for the Disabled in Ivory Park is a care facility for children with physical and mental disabilities.
The centre was founded by Dr Moses and Mrs Orianah Thindisa in 1996 and it currently accommodates 36 children ranging from the ages of four to eighteen.
The residents that the centre accommodates are usually children who have been orphaned, abused or need special care according to a court order.
The centre has a staff of ten, including an outsourced occupational therapist, a nurse, cook, gardener, domestic worker and caregivers.
Tumelo maintains a vegetable garden which supplies the residents with fresh vegetables during summer and they have recently instituted a chicken-rearing programme which will soon provide the centre with an income.
A typical day for Tumelo residents starts early at 5:30 am when they arise and are bathed by the staff. Most of the residents are incapable of bathing themselves.
Everyday the mind’s of Tumelo’s residents are stimulated by the staff through arts and crafts activities like beadwork.
After this the residents are free to play outside or help in the garden.
The centre needs donations of resources from the community to keep them afloat so that the residents can continue to receive the help and care that they need.
These resources include nappies, food supplies and medicine.
Other things which the centre desperately needs are a washing machine, dryer and generator.
Managing director of Tumelo, Solly Khuthama said, “Tumelo is registered as a a non-profit organisation through the Department of Health but all the centre’s needs cannot be met by the government alone. We need the help of donors and well-wishers. A lot of people want to help but they just don’t know where to offer that help. We, at Tumelo welcome help from the community.”
The word Tumelo means faith and the staff at Tumelo certainly have faith that they will change the lives of the children they care for despite the notable financial and educational challenges that they face daily.
Details: info@tumelohome.org
