13 Sep 2018

Masiela Trust Fund has donated 180 blankets and children’s clothes to Itholoke and Bere settlements in the Southern  and Ghanzi Districts respectively.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony held in Itholoke on September 11, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ms Botlogile Tshireletso commended Boitumelo Foundation which had donated the items through the Masiela Trust Fund.

She said Masiela Trust Fund continued to support her ministry’s mandate by providing social and basic services needed in rural areas.

She said the Fund’s support was beyond material things, as it also provided developmental and psycho social support to such communities.

“The Fund is not only committed to giving out material support, but it also facilitates various forms of community mobilization, which can advance development of communities in general.

They mobilise communities to partake in development activities and assist in national registrations so that people can access various government programmes,” she said.

She said the gesture expressed by Masiela Trust Fund and Boitumelo foundation was a challenge to other organisations, businesses and individuals to play their part in uplifting the communities.

She also said her wish was for such humble gestures to extend to other areas to reach as many communities as possible.

Ms Tshireletso urged the local authorities to ensure that the donations were distributed fairly among the intended beneficiaries. She also pleaded with the latter to care for those blankets and clothes so that they could last long.

For her part, Masiela Trust Fund executive director Ms Veronica Dabutha said even though they were on a mission to help rural communities, there were concerns that some people did not register for national identity cards.

She urged them to register so that they could access government programmes and services availed to citizens. “If you do not register it is hard to establish if you are a citizen of this country or not, and that on its own, denies you the opportunity to utilise programmes and services,” she said.

The Member of Parliament for Jwaneng / Mabutsane, Mr Shawn Ntlhaile thanked Masiela Trust Fund and its partners for the donation. ENDS