Dream comes true for single, unemployed mother

Friday, August 23, 2013

Gombani – Life for Avhakholwi Ndou, an unemployed mother of three children, will no longer be the same. Today, she received a new house built for her by other unemployed women in her home village.

The Deputy Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, accompanied by Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha handed over the house to Ndou.

Ndou is one of the people in the community that received new houses today. “I’m happy with the house,” she said with a smile on her face.

She told SAnews that prior to getting the house, life was unbearable as she was staying in a dilapidated rondavel with her three children. “During rainy days, the house would get flooded,” she said.

Ndou assisted the local women in making bricks and building her own house.

Handing over the house, Bogopane-Zulu said she was pleased with what the women were doing to improve their lives.

“They are doing things for themselves, they are improving their lives. We want them to start making money for themselves,” she said.

Premier Mathabatha echoed her sentiments. “I’m excited and impressed to see our people doing things for themselves.”

Unemployed women in Gombani village outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo decided to improve their lives and do things for themselves and their families. They started manufacturing bricks to build their own houses.

Project leader Livhuwani Tshikosi told SAnews that they started the project in 2011 with 12 women and now there were 24. To date, they have built seven houses.

The houses were built using innovative technology which requires less cement.

Tshikosi is determined to improve her life and the lives of those around her. “As women, we felt we cannot sit and do nothing. We felt we should do something for our families,” she said.

With regard to building materials, Tshikosi said they receive assistance from government departments, adding that they will now be selling the bricks they make to generate an income.

Bogopane-Zulu donated a cheque for R100 000 to the women to enable them to improve and continue with their business.

Private companies also donated building equipment, while PPC donated 200 bags of cements. – SAnews.gov.za