By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
During lunch with underprivileged children in Alexandra Township , Patricia Mofokeng advised young boys to respect and value women.
She said it was imperative that boys value women when they were still young.
“A boy-child should be taught from a young age to respect and value women. We must also teach women to respect the men around them,” said Mofokeng.
Every week, Mofokeng prepares a meal for deprived children in Maponyane village, near Setjwetla informal.
Weekly, she spends time educating and empowerinh the children in those events.
The red-beret member, who ran for councillorship in ward 109 during the recent local elections, grew up in the poor family.
Her poor background motivated her to give back to the underprivileged and the poor.
“I started at a young age, because I grew up in a very poor family. I know the pain of going to sleep on an empty stomach, not knowing where the next meal will come from.
“This is why I realized the need to share the little I have with the community, especially the children.”
She has also recently helped disadvantaged children with wheelchairs, school uniforms and the fighter looks after seven families every month.
“I buy basic food for them on a monthly basis in our area. The Economic Freedom Fighters and the like- minded NGOs support most of the charity initiatives I come up. With,” she told Mashamba Media.
Mofokeng, a prominent activist, always engages her community.
She recently organized a women’s day with a goal of raising awareness of gender-based violence.
Women shared their experiences and how they could find solutions .
She said that an abused woman must speak out, ask for help and leave any man who abuses her regardless of what he can offer.
“Most abusers tend to be breadwinners who know that women will not leave them because they provide.”
Instead of seeing violence as a solution, she says that all abusers needed to man-up and ask for help in order to deal with their problems.
The out-spoke woman stated that people in Silver Town, Setjwetla and Maponyane Village were faced many challenges.
She said lack of electricity and decent houses continue to be major challenges.
“The government should help electrify this area and give our people decent homes and clean running water.”
“When asked if Lori Coogan knew about their challenges, she replied that the Ward 109 Councillor had dejected them.
“The councillor of Ward 109 is nowhere to be found. The community tried to contact her many times, without success.
“I suspect she is anti-black as she has never had the means to meet her own constituency.”
Mofokeng mentioned that her ward had many families living in abject poverty.
She said food parcels were urgently needed to give families that doesn’t have sole breadwinners. She indicated that disadvantaged girls needed sanitary towels .
“We need whatever can help our people in Alexandra.”
For more information, please reach her on molatelopatricia465@gmail.com, 0790689033/ 0647830211.
All pics supplied.
