Thusanani Home for Disabled form cooperative

Life for the disabled members of the Thusanani Home for the Disabled at Tshino village in Vuwani have changed for the better after an Indian businessman operating in that area donated funds towards the renovation of their six-roomed offices.

The offices were abandoned after they collapsed some years ago.

Thusanani is the Tshivenda word meaning “helping each other”. The organisation’s Vuwani offices were old and dilapidated and eventually collapsed in 2009, leaving disabled gifted people without a place to manufacture furniture.

After the renovating of the building they are back working. The chairperson of the Thusanani Home, Mr Watson Thandabathu, said that they want to work as a cooperative, after they were advised that the government was ready to fund cooperatives rather than individuals. “We were robbed of our funds by the previous board members and we are now informed that we have to form a cooperative. We manufacture cupboards, wardrobes and tables and we want to run our manufacturing business alone as cooperative members,” said Thandabathu.

Thandabathu, who was over the moon when they moved back to their offices on Friday, said life will now change for the better, because they are gifted in craftwork and ready to work as a cooperative.

He also thanked the Legal Aid South Africa’s Thohoyandou offices for helping them to recover some funds, “which were taken by unscrupulous former board members”.

A well-known Indian businessman operating in Vuwani, Mr Rana Ijaz-Ahmad Khan said he saw the gifted disabled talent was wasted after they were robbed off their funds and their buildings collapsed. “I have donated some funds towards the refurbishment of the old and dilapidated buildings and I am happy that they are starting to work together as a cooperative. We hope as from now their business will grow from strength to strength and they will be able to run a viable business,” he added.

The para-legal officer of the Thohoyandou office of Legal Aid SA, Mr Calvin Mathevula, said his office was approached by some disabled people about their situation and Legal Aid helped them to recover some funds which were supposed to have been given to them a long time ago.

News - Date: 10 December 2017

Silas Nduvheni

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