16 Apr 2019

Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Nonofo Molefhi says Botswana has, over the years, benefitted from Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF).

 Mr Molefhi said when receiving a Head of State Medal from LCIF on behalf of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in Gaborone on April 15.

He said Lions Club started Botswana operations 51 years ago and its mission was humanitarian in nature.

He, therefore, stated that Botswana was indebted to the foundation for the different services it continued to render across the country.

He stated that, among other things, the LCIF focused on preventing avoidable blindness and improve quality of life for the visually impaired.

Mr Molefhi said the eye clinic in Serowe was initially for Selebi Phikwe, but had to be relocated to Serowe because there was no office space, adding that Selebi-Phikwe still needed its eye clinic.

For his part, chairperson of the Lions Clubs International Foundation, Dr Naresh Aggarwal said the club would equip Selebi Phikwe Hospital with infrastructure to improve eye care delivery if there was an existing space. 

Dr Aggarwal pointed out that the foundation was also responsible for providing grants to support humanitarian projects undertaken by country chapters of Lions Clubs International.

Giving a background on Lions Club International, he said, it was a global organisation established in 1917 based in Chicago, United States and consisted of chapters or clubs in various countries, including Botswana.

Dr Aggarwal further said the Lions Club in Botswana continued to contribute to the needy in hospitals, women’s shelters, centres for children with disabilities, as well as contributing to relief efforts after floods.

Furthermore, he said the club recently built a primary school at Letoreng, which had since been handed over to the Ministry of Basic Education. ENDS