24 May 2020

Lorato House Rescue Centre in Maun is grappling with inadequate resources and overstaying of children.

The centre catered for children aged 0 to 5 years, who were either abandoned or in need of protection.  It also has a special wing for children living with disabilities.

The centre's coordinator, Ms Tshepiso Mebe, said government partly funded them and this assistance only covered the children’s basic needs.

Ms Mebe also noted that overstaying of children in the centre was worrisome, explaining that expectation was that at the age of five, children should be reunited with their families.

Most of the children, she said, were brought through a court order, adding that the centre worked hand in hand with social workers. 

She appealed for support in kind to ensure the centre continued impacting positively on the lives of the innocent children.

Ms Mebe stated that currently, the centre accommodated 24 children and since COVID-19 pandemic started, they ensured 24 care givers stayed with the children round the clock in an effort to prevent the spread of the corona-virus.

Since its inception, she said 50 children had graduated and reunited with their families of which two went for foster care and appreciated that they lived happily.

Love Botswana programmes and resource mobilisations manager, Mr Billy Kgosikwena, concurred that overstaying of children and inadequate funding were major challenges faced by the centre.

Despite the challenges, he appreciated that the centre kept on going and taking good care of the childre. He appealed to the public and business community to support the centre. 

Lorato House is a project established by Love Botswana and the programme was designed specifically to secure resources for children who needed support. Ends