Zotha Ngobese spends his days supporting families that are battling childhood cancer; he makes sure they never feel alone.
Johannesburg, South Africa (25 May 2022) – Zotha Ngobese is a house supervisor for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation’s Diepkloof House. His job is to help the children and families receiving support from the organisation in any way that he can.
Childhood cancer is a devastating diagnosis for many families and requires the full-time commitment of one or more of the family members. Treatment is time consuming and often children will need to spend extended periods of time at the hospital. This puts financial strain on everyone.
The CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation SA is a non-profit organisation that advocates for the health and well-being of children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer or life-threatening blood disorders. The passionate and dedicated staff and volunteers of CHOC aim to save lives through early detection and comprehensive support programmes for the families affected by cancer such as; accommodation, transport assistance, psychosocial, emotional and practical support and more. They also provide awareness and education on childhood cancer and life-threatening blood disorders.
One of the key roleplayers in this support system is Zotha. He helps care for children in the South of Johannesburg. This is what a day in his life looks like:
“My name is Zotha Ngobese and I am the House Supervisor at CHOC Diepkloof House, which is situated in Gauteng South. I have worked here for the past 3 years.
As a House Supervisor I have to be at the house on a permanent basis, only being relieved every second weekend, so that I am available whenever a patient needs my assistance.
My day usually starts at 6am when I take the first group of parents to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. These parents need to go into the hospital to assist the nursing staff with bathing and feeding their children in the morning before treatment. My next trip is at 7am when I need to take the children in that will be receiving their daily treatment at the hospital’s clinic.
My passion for helping people has grown ever since I’ve started working for CHOC. I find it such a pleasure to know that I can ease the burden of parents by simply taking them to and from the hospitals. During the weekend we have game days with the children to take their minds off the journey that they are going through.
Every day, I meet new children and parents going through the same journey. I am the first person that they see when they arrive at the CHOC House. I often become a confidant to these parents and walk the journey with them. I am there to encourage them and often to provide a shoulder for them to cry on. I love my job because for me, every person that I meet I use as an opportunity to learn something from them or about them which I can use to improve my life.
I have since learned new languages, how to be strong when faced with challenges and how to let go and move on when faced with loss.
It is such an honour to be part of the CHOC team and to know that every day I wake up, it is not in vain. I wake up to make an impact in someone’s life.
Yours in Hope,
Zotha”
You can support Zotha and the CHOC foundation by donating here.
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