02 Oct 2013

SOS Children’s Village has had to retrench some of its staff due to lack of finance.

Director of the children’s village, Mr Boniface Kwelagano said the financial difficulties they were experiencing were a direct result of the economic downturn as donors have now refocused their priorities.

He was speaking at the hand over of a vegetable garden to SOS by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s Department of Internal Audit. Mr Kwelagano said SOS was also losing staff who left for greener pastures.

He said resignations by house mothers was not only a loss to SOS, but a blow to the children as they would already have developed a bond with them.

Mr Kwelagano applauded the Department of Internal Audit for the vegetable garden, noting that it would help reduce the cost of purchasing vegetables.

He noted that since 2009 when the department started the garden,  children have been motivated to start their own plots behind each household. Handing over the garden, the ministry’s acting deputy permanent secretary (corporate services), Ms Goitsemang Tidimane said the department had been involved in a number of charity projects around the country.

Ms Tidimane said the garden was the fourth donated by the department, adding that they would soon hand over a house in Segwagwa.

Internal audit director, Ms Motlalepula Kabomo commended her staff members for the spirit of volunteerism as they had dedicated their spare time and resources towards starting up the garden. Meanhile, the Regional Statistician, Mr Ribase Sebego implored the department to continue to show love and support to SOS and to extend the assistance to other organisations. ENDS