POLOKWANE – Mogau is a peer educator at Lebowakgomo Gateway Clinic where she educates teenagers about various social ills such as substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and crime among others.
Her oldest child, Lebo, is 19 years old and her youngest children, triplets Tshegofatso, Thato and Thapelo, are seven months old. Her other child, Lerato, is nine years old.
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Mogau attended Little Bedfordview Primary School and matriculated from Derek Kobe Senior Secondary School in 2000. She further went to study hospitality and a computer studies course at DAM Technical College in 2001 and completed her two-year diplomas in 2002.
Aside from these diplomas, she also completed other part time courses like counselling among others.
She did all of this while she was still job-hunting and shortly after finishing her studies, she was employed at the Polokwane Correctional Services as an HIV/aids counsellor on a five-year contract until 2015. Here she performed several roles such as counselling, education, campaign planning and policy-making.
“In short, I helped people living with HIV/aids to overcome the trauma and put in place various coping mechanisms to help the individual lead as normal a life as possible,” Mogau explained.
After her contract ended, she put her experience gained over the past five years to good use and joined the Lebowakgomo Gateway Clinic as a peer educator.
At the clinic, Mogau educates teenagers about suicide prevention and other mental health topics by providing educational programmes. “Unfortunately, this job is also a temporary contract which will end soon but within the clinic we raise awareness, provide information, resources, and referrals for children from their teens to adolescents,” she said, explaining in the sessions, they try to create change in a number of different ways for the children.
“We set goals and visualise the positive changes which will take place if the person starts making healthier or safer decisions. We are there to give them support in all sorts of ways,” she added.
Having to juggle her responsibilities as a mother, especially with seven-month-old triplets, and her work is a challenge.
“It’s difficult to manage my children and work at the same time. Fortunately, I can leave them with my mother, Sarah, as she is on pension and can help take care of the babies while I am at work. Despite the financial difficulties we face and that my work contract is set to expire soon, I am determined to always stay positive and hopeful.”
She asked if anyone would be able to help her with a perambulator (pram) suitable for triplets as she struggles to move them around and take them for their monthly check-ups since she doesn’t have a car.
Anyone interested in helping her can contact her via e-mail at molepoflo@gmail.com.
