Life is a stage! A fighter's inspiring role.

Photo by :Anele Booysens

A country’s frontline worker, Covid-19 response team worker.

In an intimate chat with Dikeledi Tlali, one of many Orange Farm's Community Health Workers who are frontline workers who then bring about hope and help during this 'untouchable devils' pandemic faced globally. She opens up about positive and negetive aspects of her work during the pandemic, being a single mom,her purpose and how she balances her roles. TEXT:MBALENHLE MBANJWA

After arrival at work, a gathering of prayer is held in the morning,asking God to start the day with them, to protect them from COVID-19 and to give them strength to inform people and to install the willingness in people to fight the 'untouchable devil'. 'She always have shown signs of determination and the willingness to help people. So much for a 40 year old woman' says her collegue laughing.

'Generally, I have an early start', she says. Not surprising, since she is the mother of two! She has one daughter with her late husband and she then opened her heart and home to her late sister's son. Her day starts with getting children ready for school and taking them to school. 'In between the take-off and the drop-off to school,there are quite interesting conversations together  with laughs but sometimes moods also take part', she laughs. How does she do it?I ask. By God's grace, strength and by winging it, laughs Dikeledi. 'After getting everyone to school, I pray for their protection and mine,then do a 20 minutes home work out, bath and go to work', she says.

She lost her husband in 2013.It was a difficult time for her and her family, yet she managed to be an amazing single mother, persevere and provide for her children. 'My husband's passing struck me straight to depression but with the help of God I came out alive', she says. When her kids had anger issues, she had to stand firm and help them. They even went to family counseling due to the husband's passing. 'I love challenges that come with motherhood, although nothing could have prepared me for hurdles I faced, she says. 'Now I educate them to wear gloves, masks and sanitize in order to fasten the curve. I don't want to lose them to this devil, they are my world, my whys. That's why I feel I have resilience to sustain', she says.
"My first priority is to be the best mom I can be to my kids"

"Life throws curve balls at you, and it's how you deal with those curves balls that count"

They help screen people, find out if people have Covid-19 similar symptoms, give people information and they also give out medication to Ext 7's Clinic regular patients. 'It feels good to help people that's why I love it',she says. Fieldwork helps you to appreciate different cognitive levels of thinking as we get people who ask questions and those that help share information. It offers a daily-basis learning experience about unknown things', she says. 'Yesterday some guy said to me he believes and disbelieves that COVID-19 exists', she laughs. That reveals how people are confused during this pandemic about this untouchable devil due to arguments made on social media. People don't know what to believe and what not to. 'We teach and urge our community members to take this issue at hand serious and always take precautionary measures',she says.
'A challenge we face is that it is hard to change stubborn people's fixed minds on whether it exists or not but we try by all means to convince them because it will take all of the nation to fasten the curve',she says.

How then does she do it? I ask. 'I love all my roles and I'm not complaining because it's all part of being a parent, employee and a community worker. But overall it is God that helps me along the way', she says.

Interesting facts about her:

*She loves helping people.
*She loves reading the incredible personal stories of women because she believes that women are powerful and as soon as we can realize our strength and potential, no limit can be set on what we can achieve.
*She wants to inspire her children to believe in themselves and to let them know that it is okay not to be perfect.