Mama Victoria turns her tavern into a rehab centre
She started with only eight people and with time the number has grown.
Victoria Yende from Jiyane section turned her tavern into a rehabilitation care centre in the hopes of helping addicts.
She established the Tenth Commandment Community Care Centre back in 2013 to help reduce the number of people who are addicts. She also helps the elderly people of Thembisa with food parcels.
“When I owned my tavern there would be boys who were addicts and they were selling bottles. It broke my heart to see them in that condition,” explained Yende.
She said that seeing young people addicted to drugs, as well as alcohol, while others slept in the cemeteries or on the streets, drove her to turn her house into a shelter and a rehabilitation centre.
“I now call them my children and I take them to church and to soccer matches to keep them from relapsing,” said Yende.
She said when she started the rehab she never expected many people to turn up for help. She started with only eight people and with time the number has grown.
“Seeing people who are addicts come to the rehab for help is everything I had hoped for. It makes me happy that they are willing to put in the extra hard work to become better and sober,” she said.
“I now have 47 people in our care centre. They are doing great and the fact that they came willingly shows just how much they want to change,” added Yende.
Yende furthermore added that she does not only hope to help those who are around Thembisa. She would like to expand her rehab to everyone in the country who are in need of breaking away from being drug or alcohol addicts.
“All my boys and girls have now recovered. I emphasise to them the importance of education and God. Most of them have gone back to school to further their studies and that makes me happy,” said Yende.
