POLOKWANE – Blessed with three children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren, Maria Raesibe Mampheko has certainly lived a long and fruitful life and regularly shares good advice and the lessons she learned with her family.
She recently celebrated her 105th birthday and BONUS was there to capture the blessed occasion.
“Every morning when I go to sleep and every morning when I wake up, I pray,” says the centenarian.
Her only surviving child, her son, Lefika says her faith has kept her alive all these years. “It is through the grace of God that she has lived to celebrate her 105th birthday, not due to eating or drinking something special.”
Lefika says his mother is a humble woman and lives a simple life.
He says as a family they hope to get her a hearing aid so that she can hear them and fully interact with them again. “It will make her feel more comfortable because whenever we communicate with her, she is unable to hear us due to her age which is difficult for her as well as for us.
Pasca Mampheko, Lefika’s grandson, says they have been blessed because Maria shares her wisdom with them. “She used to tell us about foods that are rich in nutrients as well as give us advice on how to handle certain situations.”
Maria’s great granddaughter, Dineo Mampeko, cares for Maria and says it is an absolute blessing to witness her 105th birthday.
“I started looking after her in 2003 and she is and continues to be a blessing to everyone in the family,” Dineo said.
Energy FM Station Manager, Bothwelll Matewe, said the station was honoured to be part of Maria’s birthday celebration. “We are first and foremost a part of the community, and then a radio station. That is why it was important for us to help make Mampheko’s birthday a memorable one. We are grateful to the community of Ga-Mothiba New Look for their warm reception,” Matewe said.
Department of Social Development Spokesperson, Adele van der Linde, said the department wanted to specially congratulate Mampheko on her 105th birthday.
“The department’s mandate is to look after the most vulnerable citizens in the province and she is one of those. Every year we also have our own celebration together with the First Lady Foundation as well as the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa). We have a centenarian celebration during which we honour our centenarians, residents who are older than 100 years. As a department we greatly appreciate when civil societies and private institutions reach out to the citizens, such as Energy FM is doing,” said Van der Linde.
