News & Events

Building is underway.

In the tiny mountain villageof Ha Letuka in the Thaba-Tseka district, Maliphofu School consists of just one classroom - a small and dilapidated building.

Sentebale, with generous funding from Support for Africa, are building a new classroom here to help better accommodate all the children and ensure that they have an environment where they can learn, giving them a chance for a positive future.

This primary school serves children from five of the surrounding villages - children walk up to two hours to attend lessons here. The school currently consists of just this one classroom which serves at times up to 130 children ranging in classes and age from 6 to 15. The small room is extremely over crowded, dark, damp and too noisy, making it very difficult for the children to learn.

The existing classroom.

Prince Harry spent some of his time with Prince Seeiso here in Manysonyanye on his first visit to Lesotho in 2004. The two Princes have always been committed to reaching the children here as part of Sentebale's work helping the country's orphans and vulnerable children.

Working with a local contractor and the local community, we are building a new classroom, using materials and techniques which will assist with dealing with the extreme changes in temperature (-10 in winter to 30 in summer). Building here has been challenging as it so remote and wet weather has meant that the site is hard to access. However, we are almost there and the new classroom will make an enormous difference for the children, and they will now be able to focus on their studies. Through our links with the Ministry of Education, the new classroom is also going to be provided with desks.

The funding for Sentebale to build this school has generously been donated by Support for Africa a charity founded by the singer Patti Boulaye. We could not be more grateful for their generosity and on behalf of the children of Mantsonyanye, we would like to thank them for their support of our work.