BUGLE 02-09-2016

FRIDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2016 THE BUGLE 5
DCS stretches helping hand to NGO
THANK YOU: Middledrift Centre coordinator Nomthandazo Pityana hands
over a gift to special guest Vuyokazi Lupuwana during the donation of a
much whhelchairs to Masibambisane Disabled Centre in Debenek recently.
THE Amathole Management
Area of the Department of
Correctional Services (DCS)
in conjunction with its loyal
partners, made a life changing
donation to a centre in
Debenek last Wednesday.
They visited the local Masibambisane
Disabled Centre
and handed over 15 new
wheelchairs, buckets of paint
with brushes, food and toiletries
to the excitement of the
audience.
Amathole DCS communication
manager Sivuyisiwe Matanga
said the event formed
part of their Women’s Day
commemoration.
“The wheelchairs were made
by offenders from Western
Cape Province, the paint donated
by East London based
Liberty Life and the food, groceries,
vegetables and cash
come from our ever present
spiritual healer Nomthunzi
Mali better known as Mangconde,”
said Matanga.
Former Minister of Correctional
Services Ben Skosana
as Member of Parliament
during the policy debate in
Cape Town on 24 June 2003
said: “In pushing back the
frontiers of poverty, Correctional
Services engaged in a
number of poverty alleviation
projects” and this was evident
on what he said.
The audience consisted of
local community members,
invited guests, Masibambisane
staff and pupils and
officials of Amathole Management
Area (King, Stuterheim,
Middledrift, Fort Beaufort
and Grahamstown) at the remarkable
occasion.
Masibambisane principal
Kholeka Songwiqi gave a
brief background about the
institution and expressed her
gratitude for the gesture and
kindness by DCS.
“The entire Eastern Cape
Province is represented here
as we have a total of 108
children from most places of
the province,” Songwiqi said.
“I’m overwhelmed especially
about the new wheelchairs
as it will make life easier for
those in need of one.'
Vuyokazi Lupuwana as guest
speaker is a registered Social
worker and registered
Private Practitioner who is
stationed in King.
She received her primary education
at Lovedale Practising
School in Alice,
matriculated at Jabavu High
and proceeded to the University
of Fort Hare where she
obtained her junior degree in
social work and graduated in
1991.
Two years later she starting
working in Port Elizabeth
where she was exposed to
various interesting cases like
child neglect, rape and the
high rate of divorces cases.
In 2002 she went abroad to
work as a social worker in
Scotland and returned to SA
in 2012.
A year later she decided to
finish her doctorate in social
work at Fort Hare on a part
time basis and on arrival at
the institution she was fortunate
to be the first Black woman
to study victimology at
Tokiwa University in Japan.
“I am proud of being born a
woman with so many challenges
that are similar with
yours. Be strong, be focused,
be yourself and please do not
ever give up,” concluded Lupuwana.
The centre was founded in
1996 and has a staff compliment
of 27 staff members.
T AND D ALTERATIONS
Building for the Community Services
• Plumbing
• Building
• Painting
• Carpentry
• Paving
• Welding
• Roofing
For a free affordable quote please phone us
081 379 0142 / 043 642 3648
Units 2, 41 Smith Street, King Williams Town
• Cabinets
• Electrical
• Tiling
• Gate Automation
• Garage Doors
• Car Ports