Premier Modise adopts children's wards

The Thandi Ruth Modise Health Development (TRMHD) Trust will renovate paediatric wards at public hospitals throughout the North West Province before expanding its scope across the rest of the country, Premier Thandi Modise announced at the trust’s fundraising benefit charity auction and gala dinner held in Mahikeng on Friday evening.

In appreciating the support that the trust she has established received from the business sector and individuals to raise over half a million rands at the event , Premier Modise said that South Africans are people of great love and that there are many who are giving of themselves though they will never be given awards.

“By showing compassion to those less fortunate than ourselves, we are teaching our children that giving to others is more valuable than wearing expensive Louis Vuitton designer shoes.

We need to entrench the tradition of sharing and caring that was recently exemplified by At Van der Merwe who left his R30 million estate to a children orphanage. As the Bible says, we are our brother's keepers,” the Premier.

In addition to a pledge of R50 000 towards the TRMHD Trust , Executive for Transformation at Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC), Nolwandle Mantashe handed over bed linens, pyjamas, toys and sweets for the paediatric ward at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital to Modise.

The highest pledge of R120 000 raised at the annual fund raising dinner towards the Trust was made by David Sekgobela Associates.

Prizes that were auctioned by the CEO of the Tirhani Group of auctioneers, Tirhani Mabunda who had also volunteered his services for the auction included a 2 hour lunch with the Premier, a weekend at Cascade Hotel at Sun City.

The depressing conditions under which children from ages of one to twelve years lived while admitted at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital had moved the Premier to adopt the ward after experiencing first hand their plight when she volunteered 67 minutes of her time to do community service at the ward during the July 2011 Mandela Week.

The Trust was established in terms of the Trust Property Control Act 57 of 1988 as a charitable organisation with a sole object of carrying on within the Republic of South Africa for the purposes of a public benefit activity of assisting in the creation of health facilities as well as the general advancement of the health sector.

A board of trustee was appointed by Premier Modise to oversee the affairs of the trust. Since the hospital also serves as a referral hospital for all clinics in the province and in light of the growing population at the hospital, part of Ms Modise’s long-term vision is to establish an entirely new children’s wing.

“With sole reliance on the budget allocations of the Provincial Department of Health, it will not be possible for us to within a short period revamp children’s wards into conducive environments that stimulates our young ones to recuperate to good health hence the trust deemed it necessary to solicit the financial assistance of the business community and some individuals to fund the project.

Corporate Social Investments that support the cause of alleviating hardships faced by our young children with health challenges should make everyday a Mandela Day,” stresses the Premier as founder of the trust.

Other donors who supported the trust’s objective included David Sekgobela & Associates, Infrasol, Mlokothwa Construction, Tarsus Technologies, AE Software Solutions, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Lesedi Corporate Technology, Mustek Ltd, Electrosonic, Aphane Consulting, Aurecon Mafikeng, Deloitte, G T Chaane Quantity Surveyors, Mmabatho Palms, Duxbury TWE, Aurecon Head Office,Sizwe IT Group, MTM Management and Services, Ndlati Consulting.

As part of its Corporate Social Investment, PPC has also contributed R66 million towards construction of the Kuduskop road construction project between the North West Province and Limpopo.

Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 0866204802
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com