24 Aug 2015

For years, Ms Abate Chelagodale lived an almost unbearable life which nearly drove her to the deepest end of poverty.

While most people are fortunate enough not to live under dreadful conditions without a roof over their heads, for those who do, it can be a very traumatic and inescapable experience, eating away on the physical and emotional well-being along the way.

With such obstacles pitted against them during their formative years, Ms Chelagodale and her family lived from hand to mouth as they routinely traversed the sandy Kgalagadi terrains as hunters and gatherers, until they decided to settle at a place called Kgainyane, some 40km outside of Tshane.

In her 82-year life, Ms Chelagodale survived the extreme desert winter where temperatures could drop to below zero while the scorching summer heat could rise to unprecedented levels with no shelter to find refuge in.

Her living conditions deteriorated appallingly following the death of her husband six years ago because there was no one to take care of the family.

However, that is about to change, thanks to Kgalagadi Land Board which has decided to build her a house to restore her dignity. 

Speaking during a ground breaking ceremony, Kgalagadi Land board chairperson, Mr Jenkins Hiri, stated that the gesture was a sign of a better life for the recipient. 

The decision to build Ms Chelagodale a house, Kgalagadi land board, he said was fulfilment of Vision 2016 pillar of a compassionate, just and caring nation.

Mr Hiri urged the recipient to consider herself blessed to have been chosen among the many to receive such a noble gesture and encouraged her to fully take care of the house and ensure its cleanliness at all time.

Mr Hiri indicated that there was a lengthy assessment process by the Department of Social and Community Development in collaboration with the Village Development Committee.

He was hopeful that the house would be completed before the end of the year and applauded volunteers who have pledged to assist with labour during construction.

For her part, the delighted Ms Chelagodale acknowledged efforts to help the less privileged members of society. 

 “I honestly cannot wait to wake up under a corrugated roofed house for the first time in my life,” she said. Ms Chelagodale applauded government for initiating programmes geared towards empowering poverty stricken communities and ensuring that like many other Batswana, they also led a dignified life. ENDS