LOYALTY AND HONESTY PAVE THE WAY FOR SENEKAL

• Mrs Suzan Limakatso Sefatsa initiated a luncheon club for retired individuals, transforming a simple gathering into a registered club that provided social interaction and support for its members.
• Despite initial challenges with finding a permanent meeting place, the club persevered, eventually receiving funding from the Department of Social Development and the LOTTO, which enabled them to expand their activities and maintain proper financial management.
• The culmination of their efforts was the establishment of an old age centre in Matwabeng township, launched in early 2024, providing daycare services and meals for the elderly, thanks to the support of the Thabo Mofutsanyana Social Development district office and other stakeholders.

After retiring from her long-held job, the late Mrs Suzan Limakatso Sefatsa had the idea of bringing together other retired individuals to start a club in her house. The purpose was simply to be together, share ideas, and spend quality time.

This idea became a reality when she met with Mrs. Klassen, an old friend from Kroonstad, who encouraged her to turn the gathering into a luncheon club. The club was registered with five members, and they continued using Mrs. Sefatsa’s house as their meeting place.

With the passage of time, Mrs. Sefatsa’s house became too small as the number of members grew to ten. The reality of having a club dawned, but they remained committed to building it bigger. The search for an alternative meeting place was challenging. They struggled to settle, moving to four different places in three months, but never gave up on their dream of being together, growing together, and enjoying life together.

At one stage, they found themselves meeting at the library, which was offered to them by Setsoto Municipality to relieve the strain. However, they had to forfeit the place as they couldn’t abide by the regulations due to their singing, worshipping, and praying loudly, which disturbed other library users.

Life became a bit easier when they received funding from the Department of Social Development. They formed a working committee and ensured they had a relevant person to manage finances, maintaining good records with the Department. Mrs. Tladi, elected as Treasurer, did an excellent job, and they always had a clean audit. Their loyalty to the Department paved the way for trust from other companies. In 2020, they applied to the LOTTO for funding, received money for food for 12 months, and were later given a car. Despite rumours of mismanagement, they handled finances honestly. Their journey with LOTTO culminated in the construction of an old age centre in Matwabeng township.

The centre was a dream come true for the elderly, who are now able to maintain a daycare centre and feed many elderly people. In early 2024, the centre was launched with the Thabo Mofutsanyana Social Development district office at the forefront, supported by other stakeholders. All thanks go to Mrs. Matshediso Mphosi, Mrs. Bets Niewehuis, Mr. De Wet Classen, and above all, they give thanks to the Lord (Psalm 116:12).

The HOD Social Development Advocate TJ Phahlo reiterated the department’s mandate during the Acting MEC Social Development’s engagement to care for the elderly’s well-being. The MEC encouraged the elderly to join luncheon clubs to stay active in the programmes offered. Acting MEC Thabo Meeko also raised concerns about the challenges experienced by the department if funds issued to NGOs are not properly utilised.