Polokong, which means “Place of Salvation”, has made it their mission to change the lives of the elderly of Maun by providing everyday care and love towards these pillars of the community.  Travel For Impact has been dedicated to supporting AGLOW -Polokong for the last 2 years. We are very happy to report on the progress of the centre being coordinated by Beauty Bogwasi and Marianne Sprey:

(Beauty) “The shelter is making good progress and we are happy about it. It would be even more exciting if we were to finish earlier but, of course, it’s not up to me. The roofing is being done which means we can now focus on the inside of the building. It is honestly rewarding seeing a vision come to life.”

Many very dedicated people work with AGLOW-Polokong.  We would like to highlight two volunteers that support them in caring for the elderly. We asked Tshotlhe Dijoh and Tshephang Phooko about what a typical day looks like for them. They spoke of the things they do which include, bathing the elderly, delivering food hampers to them, cleaning their houses, doing the laundry as well as hospital visits when the need arises.

(Tshephang) “I got inspired by the passing of my grandmother as I was the one who was taking care of her until the day she left us, after that day, I developed a love for taking care of people. One day, as I was walking home, I heard a shout for help from an old lady’s yard.  When I went in, she asked me to get her some food from the house. As I looked at the food she was pointing at, I saw ants inside and threw out the food. She was upset and told me that’s all she had to eat because she couldn’t get up to cook for herself, so I started cooking and cleaning for her on a daily basis. This made me realise that maybe she was not the only one in need, so I did some research and came across AGLOW. This is how I came to be where I am right now”

(Tshotlhe) “I have always loved helping others, but I did not know where I could make a difference.  I started volunteering at Women Against Rape (WAR) but left for further studies. When I came back, I heard about AGLOW and decided to volunteer there. I have a connection with these wonderful people who just want to live out the rest of their lives in peace. I have made it my mission to fulfil those wishes as best as I can.”

It is truly heart warming to see the young generation taking the initiative to not only take care of their elderly but also to do it with love and grace. AGLOW has made strides to give our elderly their dignity back and we as a community should join hands and give support to this great organisation.