Tokelo Rasephei
TWENTY eight children at Tholoana-ea-Lerato Orphanage in Maseru enjoyed a Christmas lunch with Econet staff at last week’s fun-filled event graced by the Minister of Social Development, ‘Matebatso Doti.
Speaking at the Christmas lunch, Econet Chief Executive Officer, Mr Leon de Fleuriot said his organisation was happy to celebrate Christmas with the children.
“Time for Christmas is very difficult for the less fortunate, particularly orphans and vulnerable children because it reminds them that there will be no shopping and no goodies for them as is the case with other children. Bearing that in mind, we decided to give the children a gift of mouth-watering food so that they are happy and for them to know that we love them,” Mr de Fleuriot said.
Mr De Fleuriot said Econet had joined hands with the Ministry of Social Development to support the education of vulnerable children to ensure that they can access quality education both locally and abroad.
“I would like other companies to also join us in this initiative to help secure bright future for the next generation,” Mr de Fleuriot said.
In her remarks, Ms Doti said she was pleased that the private sector was partnering with the government in support of orphans and vulnerable children.
“I am happy that Econet has taken interest to help the poor through its corporate social responsibility programmes funded through the High-Life Foundation. Through its programmes, over the years, Econet has been celebrating Christmas with children from different orphanages such as ‘Mants’ase Children’s Home in Mohale’s Hoek and Centre for Poor and many less privileged children in Maseru. We are grateful for this support and would like to encourage the organisation to keep up the good work,” Ms Doti said.
She also encouraged other companies to also partner with her Ministry in its efforts to help reduce vulnerability in the country through various social protection programmes.
“I believe if we can all work together, we can find lasting solutions that would help bring many families out of poverty, while ensuring that we work towards breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty through initiatives that include, supporting the education of many children from poor families,” Ms Doti said.
