The Order of the Baobab in Silver

Mamohau Ntsoane (1952 - ) Awarded for:

Her outstanding contribution in the field of community upliftment and social welfare.

Profile of Mamohau Ntsoane

Mamohau Ntsoane was born in Brakpan in 1952 and currently resides in Rockville, Vosloorus.

After completing matric in Limpopo she moved to Hammanskraal, where she did a one-year course in Commercial Subjects at Phaphama Commercial School in 1973.

A deeply religious woman, Mamohau (meaning 'the lady with grace') has always been motivated by the love of God. Believing that humanity should show gratitude to God for the life he has given us, she decided to invest in her community as a way to express her gratitude to the Maker.

She is the founder and director of Mohau's Orphans and Disabled Home and the Mercy Shelter.

It all started in 1986 when Ntsoane took four special-needs children into her own home. At the time, there were no institutions in the area to provide care and shelter for disabled children. Ntsoane felt compelled to avail the spare rooms of her own house for this purpose. Soon, her home became the only institution of its sort for the children of Katlehong, Thokoza and Vosloorus. Ntsoane was determined not to move these children to outlying institutions, away from their families.

She performed the remarkable feat of adopting two abandoned children, a boy and girl, who were behaving like wild animals with no speech and walking on all fours. These children had been living with animals in the veld after apparently being cast out by their parents. Ntsoane took them in and worked with them until they were fully resocialised.

Today, despite financial and other constraints, Ntsoane provides a permanent home to 50 disabled children. She doesn't receive assistance from government and provides for the children through improvising, such as receiving some staple diet products from neighbouring factories. Moreover, she provides day care to 50 disabled adults and 27 children. Her adult centre is multiracial, and, arguably, the only one of its kind.

In between a hectic schedule Ntsoane finds time to conduct parents' workshops on child-rearing. During these workshops, she informs the community, and parents in particular, about physically and mentally disabled children. She is very concerned about the social acceptance of the most vulnerable in society.

Mamohau Ntsoane has offered her life and time to the service of the community and relishes lending assistance to society's most vulnerable. Showing concern for others without regard for herself or personal gain, this altruistic human being is an exemplar of community-oriented people.

Ntsoane has eight children and five grandchildren.