Foster care in the townships
Emma Makhatini is one of many people looking after children in foster care, her story is representative of how Ikamva Labantu supports comunity heroes.
Where it all started
Emma Makhatini's affinity for foster care dates back to 1990 when she and her late husband, first decided to take on the responsibility of raising and caring for orphaned and abandoned children. It's a decision she has never looked back on and one which has brought much joy to her and many others.
Admittedly, four children was a big and scary number to start with but Emma and her husband took to their newfound roles like ducks to water — this was their calling. At the time, Emma was very involved with her church and was well known in her community. People started to take notice of her enthusiasm and the great job she was doing with these children. It wasn't long before one of her fellow churchgoers approached the Makhatinis to take a deaf, abandoned baby girl into their care, something they couldn't refuse.
Moving to a bigger house
With the children growing up fast and the addition of the new baby, the family's living space was soon too small and her husband suggested they move to a more affordable area where they could buy a bigger property that would accommodate all seven of them comfortably. This selfless road led them to Malibu Village, Blue Downs where Emma and her family still live.
By 1994 Emma's family had grown to nine children. Emma had been referred to Ikamva Labantu for assistance and she had attended a handful of community meetings. The Department of Social Services had heard of Emma's work, and its social workers started visiting her regularly. So impressed were they with what she was doing, that they started referring orphaned or abandoned children to her and Emma's family soon grew to 17, all of them living together in the same three-bedroom house in Blue Downs.
All in the face of adversity
At this stage, Ikamva Labantu was struggling to survive. The Department of Social Services had cut off the financial assistance it was providing to foster homes, and the rate at which HIV/Aids was spreading through the townships was escalating, leaving thousands of orphaned children in its wake. Ikamva Labantu offered what little help it could to Emma and her family. It provided her family with their monthly groceries, which was a far cry from meeting their needs. Helen Lieberman (Founder of Ikamva Labantu), in particular, was distraught to have to break the news to Emma but when she did, Emma comforted her by letting Helen know how grateful they were for their support and how she knew instinctively that things would somehow work out. Standing side by side and putting their faith in something much bigger than themselves, they somehow managed to pull through the struggle.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Emma, with great enthusiasm, recounts the moment they broke the struggle. When Helen finally managed to secure assistance for foster mothers she took it upon herself to surprise her exceptional members with a shopping expedition. One afternoon in 1999, Helen arrived on Emma's doorstep with a Kombi full of all the other Ikamva Labantu members and drove them to Makro (a South African wholesale centre) to buy what they needed. That evening, a lorry load of goods — including washing machines, stoves, fridges and beds — were delivered to their home. That was a turning point for both Helen and Emma.
Life today
Things are very different today, Emma has sadly lost her husband but her family has grown to 10 boys and 14 girls. The storerooms for the monthly groceries are packed with supplies and although the children do their share of the chores, looking after a family of 25 is quite an endeavour and Emma now has two full-time helpers. Ikamva Labantu has built an additional three-bedroom, one-bathroom structure to house 12 of the children. Although most of the children still have to share their beds, their living conditions are vastly improved and there is a maximum of four children per room. Emma pleaded with Ikamva Labantu to enclose the structure, explaining that she didn't like being separate from her children at night, especially the little ones, and Ikamva Labantu obliged. These days, before getting ready for bed, they lock the front and back doors, and all sleep safely and soundly.
Ikamva Labantu does what it can to support Emma. It assists her with all the grant applications for the children, it provides the school-goers with uniforms and it pays her electricity and water bills. The highlight of the month is definitely the arrival of the Ikamva Labantu truck with the monthly groceries.
Reflecting back
When asked about letting her children go out into the world to fend for themselves, Emma's enthusiasm is tempered with the pain of watching them leave. So far, all of her children are still living with her. The oldest one, now in Grade 12, has applied to attend University next year and is already talking about her own apartment. Even so, she says that on weekends she still wants to come home and be with her Mama so that she can share her stories from the week with her and her brothers and sisters.
Above all, Emma is a fighter who is very grateful that she found Ikamva Labantu, especially Helen Lieberman. Her long and memorable history of 18 years with the organisation dates back to the early days where she and Helen struggled together to make it work. Emma and Ikamva Labantu share a very special history and are much closer for it. If it was not for very special heroes like Emma, Ikamva Labantu would not have managed to find the strength to continue fighting, and nor would it have experienced the success it has in terms of empowering communities to the extent it has. Ikamva Labantu is proud to be associated with people like Emma who are doing everything in their power to help their communities.