MASERU — Face of Lesotho’ second princess, Paballo Mokoqo, last Friday launched a foundation to assist needy child-headed families.
She said the Keep The Child Alive Foundation is part of her mandate under requirements for beauty queens to participate at international pageants.
Mokoqo is going to represent Lesotho in the Miss United Nations contest in Tanzania in November.
The 24-year-old beauty said the project started out as a requirement but, “after meeting these kids something touched me.
“I felt I needed a long term project that will help sustain the families,” she said. “I refuse to be a by-stander while others suffer.”
Mokoqo said after interacting with the children she grew a different view of life.
She added that the project would not spoon feed the families but teach them how to work and sustain their families.
The children heading their families were so selfless that she decided to involve other youth and work on establishing self-reliant projects such as farming.
“When I asked the older children of the families what they want, all of them wished to see their siblings back in school and I thought to myself they are very noble to not think about themselves,” Mokoqo said.
She also took the launch to appeal to local companies to assist her with travelling costs to Tanzania.
“The dinner is not only a launch of the Keep The Child Alive Foundation but I’m also raising funds for my trip in November.”
Speaking at the dinner, the president of Face of Lesotho, Ketelo Nkoebele, said Mokoqo’s initiative was different from what others are normally involved in.
“One of the requirements of international pageants is to have social responsibilities but Paballo took it further to lend a hand in helping the needy in the long term while raising funds for her trip because she wants to make a mark in November.”
Nkoebele pointed out that it was a shame that they lacked many things when they go for international contests due to financial constraints.
“We are very ashamed of our government authorities who never took a day out to support our initiative yet the girls go to the competition to represent Lesotho,” he said.
“It is sad when we are asked where our tourism minister is and why our country didn’t support the representation of the girl at the pageants. But regardless of that, we are not losing hope,” Nkoebele added.
