Stove

P O P P Y   M A S H E G O

I was inspired to become a social worker by my primary school friend’s aunt. I saw her drive around in a white volkswagen beetle (government owned car) conducting home visits.

I chose Stove because …

… the wood burner stove reminds me of the olden days growing up in a family that had very little. We were poor and had no access to electricity, water and sanitation. Despite the hardships, my grandmother ensured that our home was always warm. She was loving, caring, accepting and provided us home-cooked meals, consisting of pap (porridge) and morogo (wild greens). This was food cooked with love and care.

There is a stove just like this one in Nelson Mandela’s home in Soweto, South Africa.

Five decades later, many families still lack access to basic services. As a social worker, my role and responsibility is to provide service users with the warmth and caring attitude, to feed their souls and give them hope. To make them feel cared for and loved. Our office environment should be welcoming, accepting, particularly warm, typical of log fires.