There are few people who would give up their own house and time to look after other people’s disabled children.
But 64-year-old Nozithulele Eunice Dibela who has four children of her own, did just that and currently takes care of 20 children living with various disabilities.
She recently got a helping hand when Lwando Dandala who owns G-Live FM, an online radio station which broadcasts to all Goal supermarket stores, visited the family with officers from Philippi East police station.
They brought food parcels and roped in members of the community help clean up Ms Dibela’s house.
When Vukani visited the house last week, Ms Dibela said some children sleep on the floor while others sleep with her in the bed. When she started more than ten years ago, she had three disabled children. Some of the children are dropped by social workers while others are dropped by police officers.
She said some of these children attend school and she has to ensure that they have lunch and money to buy snacks.
Asked how she provides for these children, she said she used her old age grant and sometimes the social workers gave her the children’s social security grants.
“I want to see these children become better people in future and be treated equally just like other children. I have three rooms and all these children share all these rooms.
“My children are helping me to feed and wash these children because without their help, I would not be able to do this. I really appreciate my husband who never questioned my decisions and instead supported me throughout,” she said.
And, she said, she was grateful to Mr Dandala and his crew for stepping in.
“We have committed that as the station we will push for the next 26 days to source everything that she needs,” said Mr Dandala.
“We are urgently going to fix the toilets which are broken. Personally, I will help to ensure that she registers this as an organisation. We always hear such stories but seeing how they need … help that touched my heart,” he said.
Philippi East station commander Colonel Mziwabantu Jada, said they had identified the home as one which needed help and reached out to community stakeholders to assist.