Bataung Moeketsi
THE Lesotho Network of AIDS Service Organisations (LENASO) recently donated clothes, shoes and sanitary pads to 28 children living at the Tholoana ea Lerato orphanage in Maseru.
The donations were part of LENASO’s social responsibility initiatives.
Tholoana ea Lerato is home to 17 girls and 11 boys.
All the children each received a pair of shoes and clothes while five adolescent girls each got six month’s supply of sanitary pads.
One of LENASO’s programme officers, Peter Raliile said the organisation has a longstanding relationship with Tholoana ea Lerato. The relationship stems from the fact that the orphanages’ former manager, Kuenahali Masupha, now works for LENASO.
Mr Raliile said they were happy to change the lives of the children and show them love through their donation.
Tholoana ea Lerato was established in 1966 under the Save the Children Fund. It became an independent organisation in 1979.
The orphanage looks after children who have been abandoned, abused and those who are infected or affected by HIV and AIDS. It also provides them with education.
The children are given to the orphanage by the Ministry of Social Development, acting programmes director Keneuoe Letlotlo said.
“After verifying that the children can be moved from their original homes, the ministry brings them here where we look after them. In the end, the ministry also ensures that the children return to their families where possible,” Ms Letlotlo said.
LENASO executive director Mamello Makoae pleaded with the public to ensure that children are safe in their respective communities. She said the majority of the children at Tholoana ea Lerato were victims of abuse.
“We are pleading for the protection of children and women and we ask that the government heeds our call because if not for abuse, some of these children would still be living in their homes.
“We were alerted that some of the children were deprived of their belongings from their homes and that too is abuse. We ask that the justice system works hard to ensure that these matters are dealt with,” Ms Makoae said.
For his part, LENASO president Mafa Raboqha said his organisation would continue working to make a difference in the development of the community given that children are the future.
