SOS Africa in Action

'When There is No One Else to Turn to'

Introducing Tlotlo

The phone call was desperately sad and before long I could feel myself overcome with emotion: ‘Please can you help, we have no-one else to turn to?’

The call was from a close friend and colleague who knew of a wonderful young girl, who had a really tough life. Tlotlo was born out of wedlock to 16 year old Magdaline in a very poor District just outside of town. Far too young to look after her little baby Magdaline ‘gave’ the little one to her older sister Miriam to bring up.

This arrangement worked well as the young mother could work at her schoolwork and eventually find her way to a job in a Beauty Salon, where she did my friends nails.

Everything seemed to be going okay for young Tlotlo until a month ago when her foster mother Miriam was taken seriously ill and could no longer work to support Tlotlo and her education. Magdaline was in no position to fund her daughter’s schooling and suddenly the future for young Tlotlo wasn’t looking as optimistic. As a result my friend Mariejan approached SOS Africa to help this bright as a button, 7-year old make it through school.

Soon after, I went out to the family home, where the two sisters, their aged mother, Tlotlo and Miriam’s little son live in a tiny two bedroom mud-house. They are such lovely people and so appreciative of our involvement with their little girl, the cool drink mixture was weak, but icy cold and I was given the only glass.

Tlotlo’s first day at Mafikeng Prep was such a lovely day and her eyes shone as she was shown around by little Mathipelo, herself still fairly new and now a friend and mentor to the little Tlotlo, her new sister in SOS Africa.

Thankfully Tlotlo is in Teacher Johanna’s class, our very own Trustee and Child Mentor of all things SOS Africa, so she is in really good hands – as I left after photographing the momentous occasion, I looked back to see that I had quickly been forgotten as young Tlotlo was quickly engaging her new found friends with what she’d brought from home.

SOS Africa continues to surprise me, to encourage me and to humble me and seeing our whole group at After-Care in the afternoons, interacting with each other and simply having fun makes me so happy that we’ve been able to give these little ones hope and a future!

I’m constantly reminded with every smile, with every new word learned or sentence read that education remains the greatest hope for the future of our underprivileged children.

SOS Africa is now 7 years old. We have 12 wonderful children at school, who would not be there without your support. Our appreciation for this is truly endless. Our children’s smiles say it all, along with the cheery greetings I get whenever I see them and interact with them. The ‘hello mister Hendrie’ makes my heart turn and makes me release what an important job you are helping us do.

We are proud to welcome little Tlotlo into our family.

Best Wishes from the SOS Africa family here in Mafikeng.