05 Mar 2025

A team of third and final year students at Kanye Seventh Day Adventist College of Nursing has donated a pit latrine to a family in Lotlhakane West.

The pit latrine project was part of the students’ training to serve the community. Mr Mompati Tsimako, who is a nursing student and leader of the five-member team, explained during the handing over of the pit latrine, that they collaborated with the village leadership to identify the family of Ms Matlakala Makgantle of Marose Ward in Lotlhakane West as the beneficiaries.

“In our programme of study we have the Community Nursing Unit which requires that we reach out to the community and identify some community pressing issues with the help of extension teams,” said Mr Tsimako.

He further pointed out that, amongst the issues that came to their attention, he and his team found it fit to construct a pit latrine.

“The strength of the community is measured by how the community treat the vulnerable,” said Mr Tsimako, highlighting that the work they had done was not just about building the toilet but about demonstrating what could be achieved if the community owned up to the pressing issues amongst them rather than waiting on someone to give aid.

Therefore, he urged the public to help the vulnerable in the community.

Ms Gillian Setlhare, one of the five nursing students shared the sentiments that if communities united and addressed the needs in their areas rather than waiting on the government, they could achieve more than if they waited for help.

Ms Annah Dodzi who is a clinical Instructor at the nursing college, expressed gratitude towards Lotlhakane West village and clinic leadership for supporting the students’ project.

She said that inline the Ministry of Health’s mission of providing healthcare to prevent diseases, the students in their final year at school were expected to undertake a community project to help them develop team building skills in order to provide healthcare to the community hence the pit latrine project.

“They do community work with the Ward Extension Teams to prevent the spread of diseases,” she said, adding that such acts as building a restroom for Ms Makgantle were to promote human dignity as well as test the students’ team building skills. ENDS