Love for kids leads her to open drop-in-centre
73-year-old Claudia Mothemela, the founder the Phologo Drop-in-Centre says the children give her strength to live each day.
POLOKWANE – Following a successful 35-year career as a teacher, the 73-year-old Claudia Mothemela retired in 2008 and founded the Phologo Drop-in-Centre a year later.
Since 2009, the centre in Hospital View has been assisting vulnerable children from the age five to 18 and it also runs a feeding scheme.
“In the year I decided to open the centre I noticed that most children were losing their parents to HIV/aids and realised they were being raised by their grandparents in most households.
“That is where the centre played an important role in terms of caring for those children, so that the grandparents didn’t have to as they could barely take care of themselves,” she said.
Mothemela adds that the centre not only cares for children who don’t have parents, but children whose parents cannot afford to take care of them.
“My love for children actually motivated me to open the centre. Working with children gives me peace of mind and it’s also therapeutical. For someone my age, these children give me strength to live each day,” she said.
The centre operates weekdays from 08:00 to 16:00 and assists children with their homework.
“Our goal is to equip the children with life skills that will help them later on in life. We also run a gardening project where we grow fresh produce on the premises,” she said.
Mothamela added that she opened the centre to make it easier for children in the area who were walking far to another centre in the area.
“I felt so sorry for them because drop-in centres were so scarce in Seshego and they would have to rely on one or two in the area, which was way too far for them to walk.
“By the time they got there, they were so exhausted. I figured opening a centre in this area would be appropriate and convenient for the children in this area,” she said.
Mothemela is assisted by eight other caretakers as well as the Department Social Development from whom they receive a small stipend every three to six months.
She adds, however, that with the high number of children that come to the centre, they have to rely on donations as the stipend is not sufficient.
“We would be happy to receive donations, be it food, clothing, school uniforms, masks, gloves, sanitiser and anything else that could benefit the children and the centre in any way possible. It would be highly appreciated,” Mothemela said.
The centre is located at 9242 Hospital View in Seshego.
For donations, Mothemela can be contacted on 073 458 5424.
