Pelisa Welemu - A Woman And Her Dream

Pelisa Welemu is dreaming of a better society. 

She is dreaming of a society where old people are respected and treasured. 

She is dreaming of the old African ideal, that the elders are kept safe and protected in the last years of their life until the day comes when they leave this world and become our ancestors. This ideal was once a collective ideal and can be found all over Africa but it degenerated in modern South Africa. 

The situation of many old people is far from rosy. They are subjected to neglect, poverty, emotional abuse and physical violence.

This undeniable fact made her dedicate her life to the creation of a non-profit orgnization and the establishment of the only old age home in Mdantsane in N.U 1. 

Ethembeni - Let's Help Each Other is home to close to 50 old people.

I have been visiting this home since 2005 I owe it to Pelisa Welemu to give her an opportunity to voice her quest and to share her experiences. 

Pelisa Welemu - A Woman And Her Dream is part of "The Mdantsane Tales" a series of short movies and interviews about people from Mdantsane produced by us. We invite you to listen to the interview, that we have recorded last week with her and that shows how one person can make a significant difference to society. 

THE CLOTHES LADIES

are never short of work.

Take My Picture

55% of the community members are unemployed, about 25 % are workers and 20% are depending on either a disability grant, child support grant or old age grant made available by the government.

DANCING TO GOSPEL

MEET ETHEMBENI

Against some western beliefs ' SELF HELP " is a concept that is already embodied in African Societies and does not have to be taught to the people by developmental organizations.

" The situation of the senior citizens in this country requires that they be taken care of. As we look at this, we discovered that abuse starts at home and ends up in loan sharks. The chances of elderly people to have their freedom are minimized by exploitation, violence and insecurity. This is when we identified the problems they are facing. Some individuals were neglected because their children were suffering from HIV/AIDS and this affected the elderly people emotionally. As we worked closer with them we further noticed that some of them were abused because of their pension grant. Ethembeni helped most families around as some elderly people were left alone while their children were at work and their grand-children at school."

( Origin and Existence of the Ethembeni Old Age Home, Pelisa Welemu) 

Proud Care-givers in their uniforms at the Ethembeni Old Age Home

The Ethembeni Old Age Home has been our port of entry into Mdantsane and we would like to dedicate a chapter on this formidable institution.

The house in NU 2 were 28 old people have found a safe home

The Ethembeni Old Age Home was founded in august 2004 as a non-profit organization. Pelisa Welemu, the co-author of this book started cooking soup and sometimes lunch for elderly people of NU 2 in Mdantsane. The Uniting Reformed Church was approached the same year for their unused mission house. Services were offered to the elderly people and some of them decided to stay because they felt neglected and abused in their community and society. Beds and linen were borrowed from people who could and wanted to assist the home. 

A resident's room inside the home

" WHEN PEOPLE BEGAN STAYING IN THE HOUSE THAT WAS WHEN OUR HOME STARTED."

But it gives much more than a mouth-full to the elders. It means security, shelter, care,company and warmth.

Most of all company with the ones that are like you and understand your needs, desires and hopes.