Africa-Press – Lesotho. The First Lady ‘Masekoalane Majoro has initiated the construction of a two roomed house for the 81 year old elderly, ‘Mapoopa Phomane of Semonkong Ha- Lesala on
Thursday. The initiative, which is a collaborative work with Maluti Mountain Cement (MMC) through its Managing Director Lebona Lephema and Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), aims
to aid Phomane and her family with shelter. She is a guardian of her two disabled grandchildren. She lives in a single hut with them, a boy and girl aged 22 and
34 respectively and has been looking after them for the past 16 years.
In an exclusive interview with Informative Newspaper Phomane said she is pleased and thankful with the great support she received. “This act slowly releases the pain and stress in my life.
I am a rheumatism arthritis patient, therefore I am unable to fully attend to them,” she said. Semonkong Children’s Centre Manager Rethabile Mahopolo expressed her excitement,
remembering how far she has started with Phomane. “I met Phomane when I was searching for community members affected by COVID-19 pandemic, this is when I was
notified about her life. We visited her place and provided the cleaning services to them and later shared ideas on how we can help the family further,”
Mahopolo narrated. She reported that they brainstormed possible measures to aid the family and thereby consulted the office of the First Lady during its visit
to the Centre. Giving out her statement, the Director of Mental Health ‘Moelo Ramahlele revealed that her duty regarding this matter was to inspect the mental conditions of the
family, in company of Mohlomi Hospital nurse. “We found that Phomane is too old and not capable of taking care of people living with disability. The duo did
not receive birth vaccines, which caused them to have polio disease,” she said. The Minister of Social Development Hon. ‘Matebatso Doti showed that shelter is a
basic need and thanked the First Lady for her vision. She said the two adults will be kept at Thuso e tla tsoa kae Handicapped Center Primary School in
Butha-Buthe where they will be taught life skills. They are not going to stay there for the rest of their lives as they have their own relatives; they have
to grow up in a family set up,” she added. For her part, the First Lady encouraged the old woman – in her sick state, with scriptures from the bible quoting Isiah 41:10.
She revealed that she is also a rheumatoid arthritis patient. This occasion was made successful with the presence of Maseru District Administrator (DA) Mpane Nthunya, Cabinet Principal Secretary Kabelo Lehora, LDF Deputy
Commander Major General Matela Matobakele, Deputy Minister of Water Hon. Lepota Sekola and Deputy Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship Hon. Moshe Leoma
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