14 May 2017

Society should reach out to the less fortunate individuals and  lend them support in all their needs, Member of Parliament for Ghanzi South, Mr Christiaan De Graaff has said.
 Mr De Graaff, who is also a board member of Lady Khama Charitable Trust, said this at the end of a relay horse race on May 10.
 He said we should care for fellow human beings who could not afford, “We should not shut them out. Give them even water, reach out to them and they will know that they too are part of our existence,” he said.
In an interview, the relay race coordinator Mr De Graaff said the race started in 2009 and has so far raised over P10 million disbursed to charity organisations to continue lifting the livelihoods of the less fortunate members of society.

“Am grateful of the support we receive from horse owners and  riders from as far as Lobatse, Ghanzi, Maun and even Gaborone since the inception of the race in 2009 in helping the less fortune people. They have covered over 700km from Ghanzi to Gabane,” Mr De Graaff said.
He said last year they managed to raise around P2.5million which went to the upgrading of Pudulogong Rehabilitation Centre whilst this year over P1million has been raised, and would go towards setting up of a day care school in Gumare.

“We raised the funds for Lady Khama Charitable Fund because we appreciate the good work they do.
The support for Lady Khama trust is grateful and we must honour her legacy and lifetime achievement by continuing and supporting the great cause she started,” he said.
Mr De Graaff said the four-day relay horse race which started last Monday had 24 legs with donors sponsoring per leg and six raiders doing a maximum of 30km  per day was able to raise a little over a P1 million.

The horses are not competing against each other its just a relay whereby each raider and a horse  will do some kilometers, rest and others take over, until they complete the journey, and the support from sponsors has been encouraging,” he said.
Horse riders expressed joy at having been accorded the opportunity to touch and make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate members of society through soliciting financing or support for a charity organisation. ENDS