MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – The honesty and integrity of a local, widowed, working, Christian mother has brought about a threefold Christmas blessing to herself and several other people.

A silent trial of her caring integrity started last week for Ms Nora Maboko, shortly after she picked up what seemed to be the remains of a cellular phone, in the street.

She first saw the loose back cover, which looked like a broken toy. On bending down to investigate, she saw the rest of the apparatus. When she picked up and fitted the pieces together, a passer-by immediately accosted her, alleging that it belonged to him. Ms Maboko could judge from the circumstances that the man was a chancer, and refused to part with the cellphone, unless ownership could be proven. Yet another pedestrian approached her with an offer of R50 for the "worthless broken phone." Ms. Maboko, who recently lost her husband, and must fend for five children – four at school and one pre-school toddler – could think of quite a number of needs which could be met with R50 cash, but immediately refused the offer with the clear principled stance: "It is not mine, how can I sell it?" She was adamant to trace the real owner.

"I could clearly see that someone in a hurry must have lost the phone. I do not have a cellphone of my own, but I know that it is valuable, and that people who use cellphones are very uncomfortable without them. I wanted to restore it to its owner. I prayed and asked for guidance."

In the meantime, an attendant at a nearby petrol station had also seen the incident and approached Ms Maboko with the assurance that he knew the owner. He showed her the car of the person in question and assured her that he would hand the phone to the owner as soon as the man returned to his car.

Ms Maboko politely declined the offer, insisting that, having found the phone, it was her responsibility to personally restore it to its owner.

She then crossed the street to a nearby supermarket where she knew one of the shop assistants, to find out from her if any of the staff or customers might have lost their cellphone.

In the meantime, professor Simukonda of the University of Venda was desperate to recover his daughter's new cellphone, which had just mysteriously disappeared that morning on her way to work. The professor, a caring father, but also a practical scientist, knew that the chances of retrieving an expensive lost phone in a busy town were zero, but nonetheless started reconstructing events and tracing the most likely spot during their movements that morning, where the phone might have fallen out of his daughter's bag.

He visited the spot where she had hurriedly taken over the car from him the previous morning, when he got onto the vehicle transporting him to the university. The petrol attendant said that there was indeed a woman who had picked up a cellphone. He knew that she passed by every morning, but he did not know where she worked. He could find out where she stayed, but that would carry a price. There was, however the lady's friend, the shop assistant, across the street.

She had no problem to direct the professor to Ms Maboko's working place, where she is a volunteer at a temporary shelter for destitute youths.

She politely received the professor, but insisted that even he should provide her with his particulars and sufficient proof of ownership.

An effort to phone his daughter's number from his personal cell phone, however, failed. It was later found that the simcard got lost on impact, when the phone fell in the street and split open. He described the phone to her and left, to return with the box in which the cellphone had been purchased.

Ms Maboko was satisfied, relieved and pleased to be able to restore the cell phone to its owner.

The professor was jubilant.

"This will really be a blessing to my daughter who was despondent about losing her new cellphone. It surely is a relief to me. I did not really expect to get it back, although I desperately kept on hoping and searching. I must really commend the integrity of a person like Ms Maboko, who consistently refused to be side-tracked in her dedicated effort to return a valuable possession to its rightful owner."

Ms Maboko in turn was jubilant about an unexpected reward she received on handing over the cellphone.

"I must immediately go and buy something as a reminder of this wonderful incident in which something lost and returned brought so much joy all round."

But there is yet another bonus blessing in the offing. The youngsters at the shelter, where Nora serves, desperate to get started in some or other business venture, received particulars from the professor about the University's ability to assist young entrepreneurs through the offices of its entrepreneurial institute.

They can't wait to make contact.