The Deputy Speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature, Hon Lena Miga spent the day celebrating 67minutes of Nelson Mandela Commemoration at Batho- Tiisang Disability Centre based in Kopela

The Deputy Speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature, Hon Lena Miga spent the day celebrating 67minutes of Nelson Mandela Commemoration at Batho- Tiisang Disability Centre based in Kopela in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District with the staff of the North West Legislature. Traditional Leaders from the Tribal Council along with ward councilors in the area also formed part of the event.

The NGO was founded by Mr Abel Malebelela in 2001 with only 15 members operating in small shanty, and was officially established in 2014 with the assistance of the Department of Social Development. It caters for about 8 people with disabilities and 18 older persons. The main purpose of the centre is to cater, support, uplift morale and better the lives of the elderly and the ones with disabilities. The main skill acquired at the centre is sewing garments and embroidery.

The North West Legislature donated cleaning detergents and materials, heaters, food parcels, electricity light bulbs were installed in the centre, plugs were repaired, and the centre also acquired a plumber to fix their leaking toilet.

Hon Miga appreciated the level of humility and giving spirit she experienced at the centre and encouraged members of the community to also partake and volunteer to land a helping hand where necessary.
“We need to develop a culture of giving and volunteerism as a society and not just pin it on governmental departments, this is a course instilled in us by the late and great Nelson Mandela who chose humility, kindness, compassion and love in the midst of all the hatred he endured in his lifetime,” said Hon Miga.

The Deputy Speaker also made a commitment to return during the month of September 2023 to donate and create a green environment of planting trees at the center to make it more homely and warm. Hon Miga heeded the call for a clinic to be completed in Kopela as well as provide a security fence at the centre.

“We will ensure that all basic services reach communities, by making sure that Kopela has a completed and furnished health facility to cater for the elderly instead of driving 15km to Ganaalagte to get health services”.

Hon Miga also informed the community of Kopela that the Legislature will communicate with the Department of Education and Sports Recreation to find ways to provide schools with sports and training gear to prevent them from wasting their valuable time on the streets.
Mr Abel Malebelela who is the founder and coordinator of the centre was grateful and appreciated efforts taken to clean the centre and gifts donated.

“We are appreciative of the love, humility and donations we received, and believe that more and better days are coming. It is soothing to witness someone lending a helping hand where they can, this encourages a sense of unity and assurance that indeed we are not alone,
We also need to be thankful for the support that the Department of Social Development has provided for us in building this structure and donating equipment needed at the center. But more support in skills development and economic empowerment in embroidery is still needed, so that our skills can be show cased, to better the lives of our community,” said Mr Malebelela
Kgosi Gilbert Moshoete was also thankful that Hon Miga remembered his people of Kopela who seldom acquire basic government services and encouraged the community to learn from the giving spirit of Tata Madiba.

“We are very happy and humbled by this gesture, and giving us hope for better services to come, this community is in need of a lot of services, but we believe that we can achieve more when united and to continue to learn from Tata Madiba, about his humility and how he showed us that we can work together despite of our backgrounds and differences and come together for one common cause, said Kgosi Moshoette