Aim Centre’s new angel
Kensington Aim Centre supervisor and care worker, Ms Rebecca Gxowa, has a big heart to help those who are disabled.
Rebecca is a young lady who dreams of becoming a social worker in the near future.
The inspiration came after four years of working at the Aim Centre, which enables work activities, skills training and personal development for people with disabilities.
Rebecca trained as a care worker for one year and soon thereafter, started working for Aim.
“My heart belongs to disabled people. I feel the pain and frustration they face on a daily basis – of being unable to do things on their own. I always try to understand how they are feeling,” said Rebecca.
She said working at the centre has taught her who she is, as she has discovered herself and what she wants to do.
“Working with disabled people has helped me understand their frustration. It has also helped me to understand that they want people to understand the challenges they face on a daily basis and the support and encouragement they need.
“If I become a social worker, I would be able to offer professional support to them,” said Rebecca.
Rebecca is disabled herself. In 2009 she sustained an injury were her right hand thumb had to be amputated after it became septic from an injury.
“At first it was a challenge because I was right handed. I had lived my whole life with a thumb and now I didn’t have one,” she said.
She had to teach herself how to use her hand and adjust to it.
“I would be so mad because it was difficult to get dressed. I couldn’t even do the things I was previously able to do with ease.
“Sewing on a button became a mission as I had to find new ways to do it,” said Rebecca.
Accepting her disability has helped her to understand the residents at the centre.
“It’s easy to judge until you walk in someone else’s shoes. My disability showed me the difficulties disabled people face on daily basis,” said Rebecca.
“I work here and spend my time with the residents every single day. They have become my family and that is the spirit we carry here. We support one another and help each other, even if we just do the daily activities or our knitting project.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else, as my plans are to study to be a social worker. I want to work with disabled people and help them in accepting their disabilities. I want to help them find ways to live a normal life,” said Rebecca.
