A gift more precious than a diamond

A family of seven that has been living in deplorable conditions in Mokhomba is now waking up to more than just a new roof over its head.

“It’s more than just a building for us, it’s a home, our home,” a visibly happy Gorataone Motswasejane said during the handover of a two-bed house to her family by Harris Metal TradingBW, a company that specialises in recycling metal scrap.

It comes a little over two months after their sordid living condition was highlighted in The Midweek Sun’s sister paper, Botswana Guardian. The March 10 story detailed the terrible conditions Gorataone, her mother, four siblings and her seven-year-old son lived under, right at the entrance of Mokhomba, a settlement not far from the mining town of Jwaneng.

The family at the time had even abandoned its home following the heavy rains that hit the country earlier this year. “In a split second, everything was gone. We now live where we can, today we are crammed in my grandmother’s one room, tomorrow will sort itself out,” Gorataone Motswasejane told this reporter at the time.

The unemployed 29-year old shared the one bedroom mud shack, measuring less than the size of the average bathroom, with six other family members. There was no bed, neither was there any other sign of basic conveniences, apart from a bundle of clothes on which they slept.

“I have been through a lot in my life, my whole family. Actually my mother struggles to raise us. My prayer has been answered, we are really happy because now we are safe from all sorts of dangers especially the elements of the weather.

The kids will be able to do their schoolwork comfortably. We are like other people now. This house is wonderful. I’m truly grateful,” said Motswasejane. Business owners, Charnetta Harris and her husband said the condition of the house really affected them and they just knew they had to do something to assist.

“My husband showed me the story in your paper and we were really touched by the deteriorating state of the house, if you can call it that, and just the general condition of their lives,” she said.

She said that businesses have a role to play in community development. The couple also donated groceries to the family.