KABOKWENI – Funds are needed to help a seven-year-old girl to have an artificial eye.

The grade two learner from Vutselani Primary School outside Kabokweni, Nomathemba Mbatsane, was born with one proper eye and only the socket where her left eye is supposed to be.

Teachers from the school said she used to wear an eye cap from Grade R until November last year when one of the teachers took her to a general practitioner who found that the cap was apparently damaging her socket.

“It looks like it was causing the socket to rot slowly. The doctor removed the cap and the school was provided with a kit to clean her,” said Ms Kholiwe Nkosi, one of the teachers.

She added that teachers take turns in making sure that she was clean and help other learners to accept her the way she is.

“It took time for other learners to accept her new look without the cap. Some were frightened of her, but they are slowly getting used to her. We are appealing for a Good Samaritan to come to her rescue. She is very young and comes from a disadvantaged family and she is very brilliant in class,” said Nkosi.

When asked about her dream job in future, Nomathemba said she wanted to be a medical doctor.

This publication also learnt that Nomathemba is one the many orphaned and disadvantaged learners in this school. She lives with her unemployed grandmother and other family members. They solely depend on a social grant for four children to make ends meet.

“I had been taking her for check-up to Themba where I was provided with medication to clean her. I can be so relieved if you may find for her, her mother died in 2012 and I look after her and my other grandchildren,” said gogo Siphiwe Madonsela.

For assistance and more details the school can be reached on 013 796 4000. The school’s principal, Mr Israel Molema can also be reached on 072 3614 877, alternatively this newspaper 013 754 1622.