Interview with charity worker in Southern Africa
SOS Children in Lesotho
The Kingdom of Lesotho, formerly Basutoland, is an enclave of South Africa which became independent in 1966. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 58 per cent of the population living below the poverty line. Any development in the alleviation of poverty over the past decades is being reversed by one of the most severe HIV/AIDS pandemics in the world, which is threatening the economy, delivery of social services and the entire social fabric of the country.
SOS Children has been working in Lesotho since 1992 when construction started on the children’s village in the capital, Maseru. Completion was delayed by political unrest and fighting between rival army factions, and the village finally opened in 1994. Approximately five miles from the centre of Maseru, the village is on the slopes of a hill in the semi-urban settlement of Lithabaneng. There is plenty of space for the children to run around and play.
The community has ten family houses and four youth houses, into which the older children move in preparation for an independent life.There is also farm land to cultivate fruits and vegetables; this ensures the children have lots of healthy food to eat. In a country where a large proportion of farmers are dying due to AIDS, it is vital the village has a sustainable food source.
The adjoining SOS Nursery School provides 125 little children with a high-quality pre-school education and consists of five group rooms, a kitchen and a playground. Primary school education can be offered to 490 children at the SOS School. There are fourteen classrooms and three vocational training rooms for home economics, arts and crafts, and agriculture. The SOS Medical Centre provides medical treatment to 12,000 people per year. As the children from the neighbourhood can also enjoy the friendly and open atmosphere of the SOS Nursery and Primary Schools, and their injuries and diseases are also treated in the SOS Medical Centre, the people are very enthusiastic about the commitment of SOS Children's Villages in this region, and it will hopefully improve the living conditions of many people.
In order to reach more children in need, an SOS Social Centre offering community-based child care and support programmes to assist child- and grandparent-headed families was opened. The SOS Social Centre offers material and medical support, education and counselling as well as HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaigns to over 500 children and their families.
A second children’s village will open in Quthing (see photo to the left) in late 2009. We decided to open a new community here as there is such a high number of orphaned and abandoned children, due mainly to HIV / AIDS. 120 children will find a new home here. There will also be an SOS Nursery School, as there are no pre-schools in Quthing, and it will support 125 children. These children will be from both the children’s village, and from the community. A Social Centre will reach out to 1,000 AIDS - affected children and their families. The younger children on this programme will be offered places at the SOS Nursery School.
At present we support over 14,000 people in Lesotho through one SOS Children’s Village, one SOS Youth Home, one SOS Nursery School, one SOS Primary School, one SOS Social Centre and one SOS Medical Centre.
See also Aids Orphan Projects in Lesotho, Africa.
Mpho, aged 16, lives at SOS Children’s Village Maseru with his SOS mother Kananelo and his brothers and sisters. He loves to play football. His position for the past eight years has been striker. He enjoys playing in the village soccer team and the school team. Mpho has a medal for winning 'best player of the tournament'. He wants to play professional football as his favourite player is David Beckham. Besides playing football Mpho does well academically and has an average pass rate of 70%. His favourite subjects are English and maths.
Thapelo is the youngest child in the house at four years of age. "When Thapelo arrived at the village a year ago he had terrible eczema. With treatment, however, it cleared up nicely," says his mum. The other children in the house were happy to have a 'baby' in the family. Thapela attends the SOS Nursery School. He is a very open child and likes to sing and dance.
Nthati (seven) also loves to dance and sing. "She has a sweet voice," says her mother Kananelo. Nthati has been doing traditional Sesotho dancing for the past three years and is part of the school choir.
Local Contacts
SOS Children's Village Association of Lesotho
P.O. Box 1180
Lithabaneng
Maseru West 105
Lesotho
Tel: +266 2231 6607
Email: sosles@lesoff.co.za
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