Madikwe: The hope of Gamodubu
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday October 14, 2016 16:25
Shirley Madikwe is the founder of Gamodubu Child Care Trust, a centre located in the small village of Gamodubu in Kweneng District. Madikwe has made a tremendous impact in the lives of many young people.
The Child Care Trust began simply out of a realisation of the deep need in the village. Madikwe began feeding desperate children out of her own resources at her own home.
“In 2005, I saw a need for the children in my community. Many were going hungry and others were orphaned or left abandoned all day to take care of themselves because their families did not earn enough money to take them to day-care centres.
“I began feeding the local children once a week and within a year I had over 100 children coming to receive meals. Today, I also take care of many orphaned or infected with HIV/AIDS,” she says proudly.
Madikwe’s efforts did not go unnoticed and well-wishers began supporting her initiatives, growing the centre and its various programmes. Government has also strongly lent a hand, enabling the initiative to gather momentum and grow.
Today, the feeding programme also caters for school-going pupils in the village. Children also spend most of their after-school time at the centre playing and interacting with their peers.
Madikwe’s daily routine is hectic and requires determination and passion. She wakes up at 5am everyday to ensure that the school-going children prepare in time.
Then, she transports some of the pupils who attend school in Gaborone before taking those living with HIV for check ups at the Baylor Children’s Clinic in Gaborone.
Together with volunteers, Madikwe washes the children’s clothes and prepares their lunch so that when they return, they find food ready. After eating, she makes sure that all the children study and do their homework. The centre also takes care of babies and toddlers who need a lot of attention. The babies are bathed, fed and taken care of daily.
Madikwe’s compassionate heart has lit up many faces with happiness. Her smiling face tells the story of the joy she receives by selflessly helping her community.
She explains that apart from the children who come to the centre and later go back home, permanent shelter is provided to about 50 children from Gamodubu, Mmanoko, Mmakanke and nearby villages. Most of these children stay in the centre during the week and go to their respective homes on weekends.
“We gave those children accommodation because they had to walk 12 kilometres to and from their villages to school daily. As a result they got to school tired and hungry and that had a bad impact on their studies,” she said.
According to Madikwe, at times the children absconded school because they grew tired of walking long distances every day. Many of them were also expected to perform house chores after school, which contributed to a lack of concentration at school, resulting in failure.
Gamodubu’s Good Samaritan has also provided some underprivileged youth in the village with a second chance at education. Those she has been unable to assist with education, she has helped either find jobs or attend vocational schools to give them a shot at a better life.
“I feel that education is important for these children. Those who had failed their JC and those who dropped out deserve to be given a second chance.
“I have helped a number of them get back to school through the help of Makgasa School in Old Naledi. One of them was able to complete his studies and is now working as a social worker.
“Some are working at big chain stores in the city and are waiting to further their education,” she relates proudly.