RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - In celebration of our incredibly dynamic women on the front page this week, here is a quick rundown of what makes them so special and indispensable in their individual communities:
Warrant Officer Sphiwe Dibatana is the Community Police Officer and acting Crime Prevention Commander at Boitekong SAPS. She works with the community and the Community Policing Forum to identify potential challenges before they become real problems (and crime). She does presentations at schools in the form of awareness campaigns and is involved in projects to identify the needy and assist child headed families in conjunction with SASSA and the Department of Social Development.
Louise Tubb is the owner of Santa Fé house for the eldery, which she started in 2017. She describes Santa Fé as a “safe haven” and here, life is celebrated in terms of the three bells that ring at birth, at your wedding and at your funeral. The main aim of Santa Fé is to treat the elderly with love and dignity and make them feel as if they are living in their own home - and not a care facility.
Waseela Haffejee has been involved with volunteer work and humanitarian assistance for over 15 years. She believes in reaching out to those in need. She partakes in food parcel distribution to underprivileged households and old age homes. She collects pre-loved clothing/blankets to donate to orphanages or the less fortunate and does fund raising for relief aid, schools and other religious relief efforts. She also assists in upliftment of individuals in distressed or abused conditions. Her personal motto is: “You don’t need to be rich, beautiful or famous, all you need is a compassionate heart.”
Suenell van der Walt has been a committee member at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for four and a half years. She first started working at the SPCA as a volunteer because animals are near and dear to her heart. She considers herself as a voice for the voiceless and is actively involved in fundraising (“blikskud”) activities for the SPCA. She has also involved her family members and children in acting as volunteers for this worthy cause.
Valerie King is passionate about her community, the elderly and vulnerable children. “Never underestimate the power of a seemingly small gesture.” Valerie was one of the founding members of the Timbati Veld Market in Cashan. The stall fees were used for charity projects for the old age home in East End, the Koster Children’s Home, SPCA and Hospice. She was involved in a teddy bear run for local children in December 2022, donating 1 000 teddy bears to children in wards of local hospitals, as well as some children’s homes. She and her husband do what they can to assist the residents of the old age home in East End and earlier this year they donated two geysers, treats during Easter and she and her sister have donated bags of knitted and crochet goods to The Lighthouse Children’s Home.
