For many a prospective young mother the task of looking after two children may seem a bit unnerving, but when the two babies suddenly become three, it becomes a mammoth task, especially if you are unemployed.

This is exactly what happened to the 29-year-old Tsakani Chauke of Giyani section E. She was initially very excited when the doctor told her she was expecting twins. When the babies announced their arrival, however, a third cry was heard from the maternity ward of the Nkhesani Hospital.

Tsakani doesn’t resent the fact that she now has three little hungry mouths to feed. She says that in spite of the difficulties, she is grateful for the three little gifts from the Creator. The third baby was “just a bonus” the young mother says.

According to Tsakani, the fact that they can only rely on the government’s child support grants is very problematic. “My boyfriend is very supportive, but he relies on piece jobs for a living,” she said. The couple also have to care for their five-year-old daughter. She expressed the hope that the child support grants would be enough to buy clothes and formula milk.

Tsakani said that her own parents passed away when she was five years old. From a very young age she had to look to other family members to care for her. She also realises that, without help from outside, she will not be able to look after the three new babies properly. “I don’t want to be a burden to my family by bringing in more kids to add to the problems that they already have - this is why I need help,” explained Tsakani.