07 Dec 2017

Sponsor a Child Trust remains committed to its benevolent course of assisting the needy, especially young children.

The spirit of giving was demonstrated on Tuesday when the Trust donated a total of P235 000 to six charitable organisations.

The beneficiaries are three SOS Villages of Tlokweng, Francistown and Serowe, which received P20 000 each; Bana ba Metsi P50 000; Masiela Trust Fund P60 000 and Childline Botswana, which received P65 000.

In her welcome remarks, Ms Wilhemina Makwinja said they had been sponsoring the organisations for some time now because they had found it fitting to assist children in need.

She noted that their assistance to such charitable organisations was another way of satisfying government call contributing positively to the community.
Board of trustees chairperson, Ms Dorcas Makgato, who is also the Minister of Health and Wellness said their mandate in assisting the vulnerable, especially children in the society had not changed.

Ms Makgato, who is also proponent in championing the rights of the children, noted that they had been in existence for many years and would continue assisting the organisations with the little donations they got from various institutes.

She therefore said it was important that they donate to the organisations well before Christmas so that they too could enjoy the festive season.

She said she was happy that the current Parliament siting was amending Penal Code to align it with Children’s Act to have some form of uniformity regarding the issue of age.

She further called on men to take an active role in issues relating to child sexual abuse and other forms of abuse of children. Ms Makgato also hailed the recently passed Bill, which seeks to introduce a sex offenders’ registry.

For their part, the beneficiaries expressed gratitude towards Sponsor a Child Trust because the donation would assist them to meet some of their daily requirements more so that some of them were struggling as they had to feed the children and also take care of their social needs.

They said as charitable organisations that did not have fixed source of funds, they mostly depended on donations from various entities and pleaded for more support so that they could achieve their course.

Giving a vote of thanks, member of the board of trustees, Mr Thuli Johnson also reiterated the need for members of the society to always extend a helping hand to those in need, chief among them being orphans and vulnerable children.

Mr Johnson further thanked their sponsors for their continued gesture as such would surely make some positive impact in the lives of beneficiaries. Ends