EMLM Mayor restores human dignity through wheelchair donation drive
Marapong
The Mayor of Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality (EMLM), Cllr David Tladi, started a wheelchair donation initiative aiming to boost mobility needs of people living with disabilities in the villages.
The drive has visited a number of villages wherein, the mayor handed over wheelchairs to beneficiaries who come from destitute families.
Accompanied by Exco Members, as well as councillors, Tladi has on Thursday 3 November, handed out food parcels and donated wheelchairs to Tswelopele Disability Centre in Marapong Village in Moutse outside Groblersdal.
The mayor said during the hand-over that the initiative is part of government’s mandate to ensure that it keeps up to its commitments to change lives of poor communities so that they can feel being part of the entire society.
“It is important that as government, we reach out to those communities who cannot provide for themselves and make a difference in their lives. Our constitution also protects people living with disabilities and reflects that every citizen is treated equally,” added Tladi.
Tswelopele Centre Manager, Dimakatso Ditshego, expressed her gratitude for the donation, saying it will go a long way to address challenges faced by the facility.
“We hope this gesture will change lives of the beneficiaries as they will be able to better their mobility. May this relationship continue for years to come while you also do this for others as well,” she said.
Tswelopele Disability Centre was established in February 2015, started by accommodating 15 children living with different forms of disabilities. Currently, the centre is taking care of 48 people living with disabilities.
According to the municipality, the wheelchair donation programme is continuous and will be executed in other parts of Elias Motsoaledi.
The beneficiaries are identified though ward councillors who submit proposals to the office of the mayor.
Simon Makua, EMLM Spokesperson, said the food parcels and wheelchair donations are made through the help of local businesses.
