Tumelong:About Us
Right. Rev Dr Vicentia Refiloe Kgabe
Right. Rev Dr Vicentia Refiloe Kgabe was made deacon in 2002 and was ordained as a priest in 2003. She served as Rector of the Parish of Weltevreden St Michael and All Angels, a position she has held since 2013. She has, however, served in parishes around the Diocese of Johannesburg since her ordination. She was an Archdeacon in the Diocese of Johannesburg, where she has had responsibility for the promotion and discernment of vocations to the ordained ministry of the church.
She undertook further theological studies at the University of Pretoria where she obtained a PhD in Practical Theology in 2011. She has also attended Pretoria University's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) leadership programme.
In 2014 she was appointed Rector of the College of the Transfiguration.
In 2021 she was elected as the seventh Bishop of Lesotho. She was consecrated in December 2021.
Right. Rev Dr Vicentia Refiloe Kgabe is the twelfth and current Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pretoria in South Africa. She was enthroned as Bishop at St Albans Cathedral (Pretoria) on 13 December 2025 which makes her the chairperson and Patron of Tumelong.
Paulina Tlaka
Director of Programmes
Paulina Tlaka is a dynamic woman who is very compassionate and hard working. She has 12 years of professional banking experience. She combines financial management with Social Development.
She holds a BA Degree, with Sociology and Education as her major subject which gives her an advantage in Skills development. She draws extensive experience in Skills development, registered as an Assessor and Moderator with the Services Seta. This allows her to function effectively in the management of the organisation as well as approach to Gender issues, HIV and AIDS, Youth Development, Poverty Eradication, Monitoring and Evaluation. She aligns the services of Tumelong with Millennium Development Goals.
Paulina will be responsible for ensuring that people are treated with dignity and respect, that the Mission of Tumelong is enhanced by touching lives in a positive and effective way.
With all this Paulina is driven by her compassion to develop people to be self-reliant and sustainable.
Who We Are...
THE VISION
We the Tumelong Mission as a Mission and Development Programme, Diocese of Pretoria, are committed to: Creating a healthy sustainable society, free from HIV and Aids, and being developed towards eradicating poverty.
MISSION
Tumelong aims to build a self-sustainable quality of life through the fostering of self-respect, self-discipline and learning among all, especially the young, needy and vulnerable to overcome hunger, poverty and unemployment.
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Social development approach uniquely integrates economic and social objectives. It not only recognizes the critical importance of economic and social development in raising standards of living but actively seeks to harness economic development for social goals. (Service Delivery Model: Department of Social Development 2004)
What We Do...
Our work is driven to address the Millennium Development Goals related to our geographical areas of operation. HIV, Access to education, sanitation, hunger, basic education and gender related issues remain as our priorities, particularly in those areas that are remote and often not reached by government services.
The approach to our work is based on making a meaningful impact in the highlighted areas of concern at a national and local level. Our focus areas and components were structured around identified gaps in order to:
- Reduce the number of new infections, through positive peer pressure, people knowing their HIV status and empowerment of women to make decision for their own well being.
- Empower people to use land for crop production, developing their skills to produce goods that will realise income and increase their chances of being employable.
- Provide material support towards the immediate needs of the poor, elderly, orphans and vulnerable children, and to assist the children with their early childhood development and well being.
In our work, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting forms part of our existence, and we have well developed tools to ensure that the quality of information provided can be used for responsible decision making.
The Journey...
Tumelong Mission is a non profit, Public Benefit organisation focusing on mission and community development. Tumelong mission was established in 1939 as a mission and development wing of the Diocese of Pretoria to focus on the actual needs of the people and to provide material support to those in need. It was started in Lady Selbourne and focused on the needs of people in the Garankuwa, Hammanskraal, Winterveldt, Soshanguve and Mabopane areas serving all people regardless of religion, race or creed.
The area of service covered by Tumelong Mission is limited to the geographic area of the Diocese of Pretoria. The areas starting from Centurion, Oliewenhoutbosch, in the south moving to the just below Warmbad( Bela bela) in the north. From the far east, it covers areas from Zithobeni, Culllinan, Ekangala areas and moving towards the margins of Swartruggens. The areas in between also are the serviced by Tumelong mission.
The Missions work reaches over 109 communities within the Diocese of Pretoria, the areas fall within the following municipalities: Tshwane Metropolitan municipality, in the Gauteng Province; The others are Moretele, Madibeng , Rustenburg, Moses Kotane, Kgetleng Municipalities and Royal Bafokeng Nation, in the North West Province; it also covers parts of Thembisile Hani and Dr J S Moroka Minicipalities in the Nkangala District of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.
Tumelong Mission over the years developed into covering areas of Abuse, Orphans and Vulnerable Children(havens), Youth At Risk, Care and Relief, Nutrition, AIDS Awareness, Hospice and Home Based Care. Due to the financial limitations, Tumelong was forced to move away from capital intensive projects like Hospice and Nutrition and to focus on those that provide development, care and relief, particularly to the poor, orphans and HIV infected and affected.
The Missions core business is to develop people so that the can have sustainable livelihoods, this include eradication of poverty, and prevention of circumstances that will hinder that. Our secondary business is to provide care and relief so that development can take place in a stable social environment. We provide our services through the following key focus areas: HIV and Aids, Capacity Building and, Care and Relief.