By Charmaine Kgopa, Sosh Times July 2015
AS PART OF the South African Tertiary Institutions Choral Association’s social responsibility programme, students from thirteen tertiary institutions across the country participating in a choral music competition at Tshwane University of Technology took part in community upliftment projects at three community centres in Soshanguve.
The programme involved cooking, cleaning, washing, gardening, tutoring and playing with the children at the centres. Amongst the chosen centres was Kgomotso Children Centre.
Kgomotso is a ’drop in’ centre for children from the age of four to eighteen. It was established in 2007 by Ms Kgomotso Senauwa who manages its daily activities. She stated that it was because she was sexually abused and had no one to turn to that influenced her to open the facility. „The lack of facilities in our community encouraged me to open Kgomotso Children Centre. I wanted to create a home where children can come and get help. A home where they can feel loved and protected,“ said Senauwa.
„Since 2007 we started out with about eight kids and today we have 130 children coming to the centre. Today I feel overwhelmed by the amount of students who came to visit KCC. I only expected to see ten people whom I did not know what they would be doing. None the less, I am honoured because today I feel that I’m not alone,“ she added.
„I am happy to have helped Kgomotso Children Centre because even myself, I come from a disadvantaged background where there is a lack of resources. This community outreach is programme also a morale booster to the choirs, to show them that even if they become successful they should not forget where they come from,“ said Ndlelenhle Jiyane, a student at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT).
Mr. Sakhi Schlophe who is part oft he SATICA executive said that the outreach programme is a great way for the students to bond despite the fact that they came from different universities and are in a national competition.
