Place of safety celebrates 30 years
Maidi has founded Share Tears and Grow in 1991 and has been taking care of abandoned children since.
A Nellmapius woman, who has run a local place of safety for 30 years, believes understanding different social issues empowered her through the years.
Mmakgomo Jacobeth Maidi (56) from Nellmapius extension 2 is the founder of Share Tears and Grow.
She has been taking care of abandoned children from 1991 in Sunnyside. She moved to Nellmapius in 1999 where she continued taking care of children.
Maidi said when she was 17, she protected a girl who was raped.
The horrifying experience made her see that children needed to be protected at all times and in 1991 she started taking care of abandoned children.
On 8 April she was celebrating 30 years of taking care of abandoned children, feeding them, clothing and making sure that they all reached adulthood.
She said it was not an easy journey and sometimes she wanted to quit, but having God on her side and the love she has for children she continued to take care of children through funds and donations.
At the moment she takes care of 14 boys and girls aged between seven months to 18 years.
Maidi is working together with the social development department and social workers.
“It is tough because every day I have to make sure that the children don’t go to sleep on empty stomachs,” said Maidi.
She proudly said the centre did not only raise children but also helped in tracing families of these children.
Maidi added that most of the children she has raised are now grown, some married and have started their own families.
She had to name some of the newborn babies since they are brought to the centre without any documents or some form of identity.
Most of the volunteers at the centre are the same children she has raised.
“I am proud that I have raised them so well,” she concluded.
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