31 Aug 2015

Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse says supporting charity shows that Batswana have moved from rhetoric to action.

Speaking during Molelo wa Mariga event at Masama Lodge and Camp Site on Saturday (August 29),  Mr Autlwetse said  assisting orphans now would help them fend for themselves in the future.

“These children can’t fend for themselves and as such that responsibility lies with us to ensure that they’re raised in a permitting environment,” Mr Autlwetse said.

He observed that unlike in the past where orphans were used as maids by their surviving relatives, today there was need to accord all children the necessities to help them grow into citizens the country desires them to be.

He encouraged caregivers and those donating not to doubt their contributions, but instead to remain steadfast in their charitable course.To the graduates of SOS, the assistant minister urged them to remember where they once lived and to help in whatever way they could to ensure that those they left behind could be raised in a similar fashion.

“Don’t shy away from where you come from, but take pride in your roots and let all know about your history,”  the assistant minister said. Mr Autlwetse, who is also the Member of Parliament for Serowe North, donated P1 000 towards the event.

For his part, SOS national director,  Mr Motshwari Kitso invited all stakeholders to proactively partake in raising orphans. He said the failure to raise responsible children would impact negatively and harm society. Mr Kitso said the nation would need resources to fight societal ills perpetrated by our failure to care for orphans.

He called on Batswana to appreciate and implement foster care. He added that children need to grow up in families where they felt loved. To successfully care for orphans, the national director informed participants that SOS needed a variety of assistance that varied from finance to professional.

He said they planned to have management boards in areas where they have SOS villages, and would in the near future approach people in villages in question to be members of the board. SOS,  which has been in existence since 1987, has seen a total of 486 graduates some of whom are success stories and contributing significantly towards national development. 

“Let it be the responsibility of everyone to care for orphans and needy children,” said Mr Kitso, who appealed to Batswana to consider buying clothes for the children as Christmas gifts. Ends