PALESA MAFEGO
HER MOTHER’S DYING WISH WAS A REQUEST FOR HER TO TAKE CARE Of TWO BOYS HER BROTHERS
Palesa Mafego quit her fulltime job to follow her heart and to fulfil her long-time dream, inspired by her mother’s words “take care of my boys.” A mother dying plea to her daughter. Palesa or shall I say pastor Palesa “I called to empower, support and to develop a boy child” she said.
Pastor Palesa was born in Lesotho and bread and buttered in Katlehong Ekurhuleni in Gauteng. She went to Sonqoba Primary School and completed her matric at Eden Park in Alberton. She is no strang Before her mother passed she gave her a verse that kept her going over the years, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Re-member the LORD in every-thing you do, and he will show you the right way.” Prov 3:5-6
It was her mother’s words that kept her going when at times she felt as if she was moving against the current. At age 21 she had to drop out of an IT class at tertiary to care for her brothers. “It was though having to do part time jobs and to do part time schooling” says Palesa. Today she holds a qualification in office administration and she is an adult education facilitator as well as a qualified coach.
Palesa worked for companies like Nashua, Panasonic, Africa cables, Fuchs, Renault, CBI and Legal-wise. In her life she has felt the wrath of life, this young woman has been down and out losing everything. Her tenacity to live and the words of her dying mother became her moral compass. She learnt earlier on in life that when you are down and out. You only have one way to go and it is up. After leaving her Job and the only source of income she had. Palesa went on to register a Non-profit Organisation Tulips Male Child (TMC) to pursue her community development passion in empowering primary school boy child.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
• To guide learners to realise the importance on decisions they make and to see opportunities to start and build a successful career.
• To provide counselling to help the boys cope academically and identify professional inter ests and aspirations as an individual in a community and at school.
• Provide financial support to learners in need.
• Create awareness on the prevalence of drugs and the dangers of illicit substances and how to lead a drug free life.
• Educate boys to understand their bodies and sexuality to curb teenage pregnancy and risk of HIV infections.
• Educate learners on lifeskills to inspire a positive living and to identify traps that could lead them to living a negative life.
• Empower the boy child along with their parent or guardian.
Tulips Male Child primary focus is on grade sevens. Her organisation Tulips prepares boys for the transition from primary school going to high school with a vision. High school is not easy and even more challenging nowadays with rise and prevalence of social ills Tulips gives support to the boys and she also prepares parents to get ready for a high school teenager.
Most interesting, while the world only wants to reward the “A” students leaving out the so-called trouble-some one’s, and those are the ones she dedicates her life for. A handful she has committed to secure them a tertiary spot all she asks to perform academically.
This faithful lover of the lord shared “I have seen the hand of God in my life. life is tough, but God is tougher and ever so faithful.” Palesa Mafego, what an inspiration her life is a testimony a demonstration of resilience, strength and power of a visionary woman.