07 Dec 2017

Patron of Lady Khama Charitable Trust (LKCT), President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama has donated cheques amounting to P425 000 to six of the Trust’s core beneficiaries.

The core beneficiaries are Childline Botswana, SOS Children’s Village, Bana ba Metsi, Flying Mission Day Care projects, Little Friends Nursery and Cancer Association  of Botswana.

Speaking at the hand over ceremony, LKCT chairperson, Mr Dale Ter Haar explained that the Trust’s core beneficiaries were selected due to their historic connection with Lady Ruth Khama or have made a national impact to communities throughout Botswana through their continued good work in their respective areas of focus.

He said it was appropriate that the Trust disbursed funds to worthy causes as this was what sat at the core of its existence.

He indicated that the Trust raised over P5 million this last financial year, which had been a bit of an anomaly and was due to a large once-off donation from Lucara Diamond Corp as well as monthly donations from individuals and organisations as well as the Trust holding their annual fundraising initiatives.

Out of the P5 million raised, he said the Trust had disbursed over P3 million with much of the remainder earmarked for projects next year.

“We have supported 11 charities this year, notably we have rehabilitated a physiotherapy centre for Camphill Community Trust, built a double story building with classrooms for Botswana Retired Nurses Society, constructed a building for Sekgele Training Home Society and provided a borehole and agricultural tunnels and a general spruce up for the Red Cross Tlamelong Rehabilitation Centre,” he said.

He noted that the Trust had also fitted and provided specialised wheel chairs to a number of children around the country.

Further, he stated that the Trust had also finally managed to get their early childhood development programme, Ithute go Tshameka, off the ground.

The vision for this undertaking, he said, was to see the Trust in collaboration with their partners, Raising Education Within Africa and establish play groups in 36 rural communities around Botswana over the next three years, which will cater for over 2 500 young children.

He highlighted that the benefits in later life of structured educational intervention based on play at an early age were well documented, saying the first three play groups would begin operating on February 5 next year. Ends