I would like to thank the founder of RAELA for the wonderful opportunity to share our work
The original post can be found here: https://raela.com.au/blogs/news/rene-from-thandi-house
“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.” – Gloria Steinhem
Everything we do at Raela is underscored by a deep connection to South Africa, and to the community of womankind. To us, products are capable of possessing narrative and harnessing change. Raela manifests this central philosophy through maintaining close relationships with our two charity partners – Thandi House (South Africa), and Kasturi & Mehfuza Charitable Trust (India).
To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day we had the honour of connecting further with the incredible woman behind Thandi House – Rene Morcom.
Tell us about Thandi House.
Thandi house started 10 years ago, when I was 23 years old, and when our town went through a dark period of infanticide. Almost every day a newborn baby was found dead either on the dump site, in public toilets, in gutters, fields and at the water waste plant. In the desperation of the situation, I installed a baby saver box in a local church’s wall. This is an electronic box that allows the mother to safely put their unwanted babies into the box and walk away without harming the baby. My partner and I registered as a safe house, not knowing that our whole life would change. Now, 10 years later I am mommy to many beautiful children that we have taken in and love as our own.
What makes this home very unique is that I work hard to mimic that of a traditional family environment. A place that they feel proud of, a place where each child knows they have a place and purpose. While the reality these children are abandoned, orphaned, or abused. When they come into our home and lives, they no longer bare a title other than my sons or my daughters whom I love as my own. When my children enter into the home – it’s a lifetime promise and commitment to care for them forever. Love has no time limit. You don’t stop being a mother because your children turn 18 years old, nor do you stop being a mother when your children marry. Why should my love and commitment be any different just because they were not born from my womb? I have many children now and when I am old, I will continue to pass this philosophy to the many grandchildren I will have because this commitment to my children is forever and will be passed on to the next generation and beyond.
How is Raela connected to Thandi House?
Nataschia Holland (co-founder of Raela) is an amazing soul that came to our home a few years ago with her old employee to throw a Christmas party for the children. Well, she has never left since that day. When she co-founded Raela, she wanted to give back to the children at Thandi House, so for each handbag sold, Raela contributes $5 to the work we do. So even though she is across the ocean from us, she remains very much in our hearts. The children absolutely love her and we are blessed to have her friendship.
What are the main challenges regarding women in South Africa?
Among the many challenges that women face are HIV, unemployment, crime and assault against women, poverty and equality as a whole. Many women are single parents without the support of the father, and in a country with a high unemployment rate, this results in households living in extreme poverty. And poverty, as you know, is a cycle and generations of women are swimming upstream to try and break this cycle.
The 2019 International Women’s Day theme is Balance For Better. What does this mean for you?
There are still perceptions that woman cannot take on leadership roles. I’ve experienced it in my own journey as the founder of an organisation. There is still an imbalance in society and this can be seen within the larger businesses I deal with where all leadership and management roles are taken up by men. Businesses need to take the lead and be a part of creating this balance.
While I realise that the focus for 2019 International Women’s Day is balance in the workplace, in leadership, in the pay gap etc. As a woman working at the grass root level on the ground in the destitute areas of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, I believe the fight for equal rights and opportunities for women should have a bottom-up approach. The invisible communities do not receive the same attention as the visible communities of leadership, media, governments and the workplace. Changing mindsets at a community level could also pave a way of creating employment for women who are faced with the battle against poverty.
How does Thandi House empower and support women? Why is it so important to care for teenage mothers?
I am passionate about working with and supporting young women faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Realizing that these young, soon to be mothers have no support and in most cases, they have no family from either being orphans themselves or being rejected by their family for cultural reasons. Majority of the cases there is no father of the baby supporting them too. Leaving these moms in a place of fear and hopelessness. What are the options for these women? Leave school? Drop out of college? To live a life that continues the same cycle of poverty and hardship they lived. While some do place their babies up for adoption and I help them with the process, many do not want to.
This is where our programme comes in. Our teenage mothers are given a second chance at life and hopelessness is replaced with hope and a bright future. These moms are supported in a similar role a mother would support them. Each teenager is supported through her education to tertiary level and in the search for employment. They are given guidance under our loving wing as we grow them and mould them into amazing, strong, and confident women who can become a contributing members of society. More importantly, we help them to develop a strong bond with their children so they are able to break the cycle of brokenness and enter into a future of security, freedom and stability.
What has been one of the most important lessons you have learnt about running an organisation like Thandi House?
We provide hope in the lives of the children and the teenage mothers that we serve. Likewise, I have learnt about hope in humanity. Giving up everything I knew to serve the neediest and most disadvantaged children of our society was a lesson of the goodness and kindness that still exists in humanity. Every child and the existence of Thandi House is 100% reliant on donation to operate. Although some months are harder than others, 10 years down the line the doors remain open and it is the kindness of humanity that has made it possible.
How has Thandi House impacted you?
Thandi House has brought me many tears and many joys. It has opened my eyes to how important it is to protect the future – that is, our children. I became a mother 13 years ago for the first time to my biological son. Although I knew what motherhood meant before Thandi House, it took years of growth to remodel the meaning of motherhood for me.
In my life are children who will become future leaders, but they will also become future mothers. Each day my actions are putting puzzle pieces together of who they will become. I realise that as they develop their own ideas, character and as they create their own meaning in life, it is part of my role to help them create meaning that will also create strong leaders who will lead the country. Children are our future and for me, I am honoured to be given the opportunity to be a part of a motherhood for these amazing children.
What’s next?
I am so proud of all my children, I have watched some of the children grow up from birth and they are heading soon into their teenage years. With growth comes more expenses. We need to look at ways of becoming more self-sustainable to keep up with the growing needs.
Adding to that we are becoming well known for the great support we provide disabled children. We are getting more children that have disabilities and hoping to better equip the house to accommodate such needs. This will include, in the future, a qualified teacher as the average waiting list for first grade is around 3 to 4 years at special needs schools. My ideology is if we can’t take the disabled children to school – my plans are to build a little classroom and bring the school to them. We currently have 5 children who are either blind, physically or mentally disabled.
What’s the best way for us to support the work you do?
Thandi House is a home for my children, although it could be classed to some degree as an orphanage, it is not an orphanage because they have a mother – me. My hands are working and my heart is beating for these children that I have been given the privilege to raise as my own. As they grow so do the costs increase, their needs increase, the cost of education increases, and so do their wants and needs.
I am willing to do all the work – but I cannot do it alone. I need assistance to cover the cost from rental, electricity, medical (which can be costly with the disabled children), clothing, petrol, education and food. Part of attempting to be a normal family involves activities such as ballet, swimming lessons, choir and soccer. These activities all amount to, and are an important part of a “normal life”.
There is an African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”. We need support from the village (the greater and international community) to raise the children we have been blessed with.
Click here to become a part of the Thandi House family and support Rene and her children today.
If you are based in Durban, SA and wish to support Thandi House locally, find out more here.
Raela is founded and run by conscious women who always seek to empower vulnerable communities. This International Women’s Day, and every day, we ask that you join with us in supporting and celebrating the hard work and achievements of women like Rene in their journeys of creating a more equal, balanced, and better world.
We, at Raela, stand together with Rene and women around the world to create a #BalanceForBetter.
LEARN ABOUT THANDI HOUSE AT https://www.thandihouse.com
