08 Nov 2022

Neelano Support Group, a non-governmental organisation based in Serowe has its sight set on assisting vulnerable members of the community.

The organisation formed in 2010 and registered in 2011 specifically targets people living with disabilities, those living with HIV/AIDS, the elderly, orphans and vulnerable children as well as those affected by natural disasters.

Its secretary general, Mr Sesiro Raditanka told BOPA that activities for the elderly included lunch every second week of December with this year’s slated for December 15 and would be the eighth since the organisation came into being.

Mr Raditanka said they had in the past, donated clothes to some residents in Sehunou whose property was destroyed by fire.

We also donate toiletries and food hampers to orphans and vulnerable children, encourage parents to enroll children for preschool and assist those due to start Standard One with school uniform, stated Mr Raditanka.

Mr Raditanka said people living with HIV/AIDS were at times neglected, hence the organisation identified those needing assistance to be their support system by providing counselling and encouraging them to take medication.

He said they relied on social workers and the community, to alert them of those in need of help.

A former village development committee member, Mr Raditanka said his time with the committee worked to his advantage because he got to associate with the community and therefore, was no stranger to them.

He said it also helped that the organisation had a business person for a board chairperson who assisted with donations.

The organisation’s assistant secretary general, Kgosi Oral Mokgadi of Mmala ward in Serowe said he came up with a concept dubbed Re Ka Kgona that targeted children in conflict with the law.

Kgosi Mokgadi reckoned that counselling was not enough to correct the behaviour of such children, hence more needed to be done.

“The community needs to do something, engage relevant departments that can help with behavioural change programmes,” said Kgosi Mokgadi.

He said the concept though new and were yet to decide on how to implement it, came after witnessing pupils from Bakwena Kgari Junior Secondary School being flogged after they were found in possession of marijuana at school. ENDS