Previous Partners
The following organisations were amongst those supported by the charity when it was administered by the British Red Cross, and given further support since Sentebale was launched in 2006.
View a short video about these partners.
Good Shepherd Centre for Teenage Mothers
Scot Hospital - Sentebale Link Project
Sisters of Ottawa Centre for the poor and less privileged
CATCH
Canadian Teachers’ Charity Centre (CATCH) for the Blind, St. Catherine’s High School. This unit of St Catherine’s High School in Maseru educates blind children using Braille. Some of the children are also provided with hostel accommodation within the school, but they are integrated with the other children as much as possible. There was a shortage of Braille machines for pupils, but they now all have access to machines so they can go to normal classes. Joseph Makoae, a Catch Centre pupil said, "the Perkins Braille machines are very useful to carry to integrated classes with the other kids. We cannot use pens, these machines are the only way we can write."
Good Shepherd Centre for Teenage Mothers
In need of better facilities, this centre preparing teenage mothers for a better future now has water tanks, fenced off vegetable plots and an improved dining room and kitchen. A volunteer, Marion Smith, said of the changes, "I have noticed a complete change in the mood of the centre, before everything was hard work, people are now able to enjoy themselves more, have more time for study, before it was a burden. When the dining room furniture arrived everyone was singing and dancing, there is a noticeable change."
The Ha Paki Support Group
In Mazenod the Ha Paki support group has renovated a village centre to provide cooked meals and support to 200 orphans and 50 chronically ill people. Communal gardening is one of their projects - produce is grown and given to OVCs who sell it for funding so they can buy essentials like soap and medical supplies and pay for transport to clinics and hospitals. 'Me Matsepiso Metsing, Chairperson of the group, explained "We are very busy preparing the centre so that we can provide cooked food to the orphans and chronically sick people. These people are very poor and we are happy that we are being helped to provide nutritious meals."
Justice and Peace
With a vision to ensure the participation of all socio-political and economic groups to guarantee common good, this committee works towards dignity and security for all individuals. The local committee is working to support 800 orphans and vulnerable children in Phuthiatsana, Berea. Community members are trained to provide care, support and protection to children, to ensure they can go to school, receive appropriate health care and carry out their own income-generating activities. School books and materials for income-generating activities are provided. "With the help from justice and peace volunteers, we have already assisted more than 30 orphans and vulnerable children with referrals to child and gender protection unit and schools" said Mabula Mojalefa, Maseru regional coordinator.
Katse-Sentebale Link Project
There are approximately 450 registered or known orphans in the Katse area, covering 41 villages. The health clinic provides outreach activities and ensures that health services are accessible to youth. The youth activities include HIV/AIDS education, health promotion outreach activities in schools, an ante natal clinic and an adolescent youth corner. Sentebale has worked with the clinic to help the Katse Team develop the Youth Centre and get the necessary funding. Sentebale has recently arranged for the centre to receive a table tennis table and trampoline from Maseru Toyota.
Lesotho Red Cross Society
This programme aims to reduce the transmission of HIV and improve the quality of life of those living with HIV/AIDS, chronically ill people, and orphans and vulnerable children. Funding has helped the Community Home Based Care project. This provides care and support for 1000 people living with HIV/AIDS. It works with affected households in Quthing, as well as health clinics in Kena and Mapholaneng, providing HIV community support. The project has 34 care facilitators and 170 volunteer care-givers providing support for HIV victims. Funding for the society also supports orphans and vulnerable children by providing school fees, books and uniforms, tools and seeds and psychosocial support activities.
Lesotho Save the Children
Lesotho Save the Children are receiving funding for a child reunification programme. Temporary accommodation is found for the children while their cases are investigated. Children are then reunited with their families or adoptive / foster families. Follow up visits from Save the Children staff complete the process. Me Motselisi Shale, programme coordinator, explained "we have already placed four children with relatives in 2006 and are working to find homes for the other children who stay at the centre".
Maluti Crop Project
Maluti Crop Share is an agricultural project to increase food security for 33 villages and their orphans and vulnerable children. This project has seen the planting of over 80 acres of maize, potatoes, beans and peas introducing new techniques to the area. Its expansion from a demonstration garden has been funded by Sentebale throughout and it has been particularly successful in producing food despite severe drought conditions this season. Government officials have visited the project and are now broadcasting lessons learnt from its best practice across Lesotho on local radio. The additional crops the project has produced are being used to feed up to 150 orphans and vulnerable children as well as their families and community members. The project is based within the Wellness Centre at the Maluti Adventist Hospital in Mapoteng in Lesotho. We are working closely with this project to develop further proposals for OVC's in the area.
Watch the short video about 'Lessons From Maluti Farmers'
Watch the long video about 'Lessons From Maluti Farmers'
Mapholaneng Clinic
Mapholaneng Clinic is a Lesotho Red Cross remote mountain clinic, 40kms from Mokhotlong. Sentebale solicited funds from the Bethany Trust to renovate the clinic and re-open it. The buildings now have curtains and burglar bars and basic supplies have been re-stocked. This clinic serves a particularly isolated highland community. Most of its patients are HIV/AIDS positive, and the five buildings that make up the clinic are now fully functional and stocked with drugs in order to support them.
Scot Hospital - Sentebale Link Project
This medium size hospital serves an area of 207,000 people. The hospital also owns and supervises five health centres offering education and training in health sciences like nursing. There is an HIV/AIDS unit, adolescent health corner and family planning. Scot is one of the country's most popular hospitals and it is where King Letsie III was born - he is the hospital's chief life patron. A new project is underway at the hospital under the guidance of Sentebale. The Resilience Building Project aims to reduce HIV related morbidity. 150 orphans and vulnerable children, including herd boys will be trained to provide peer education and a study tour will be organized to learn crop sharing techniques.
Sisters of Ottawa Centre for the poor and less privileged
Run by the Sisters of Ottawa, this children's home in Sakamaneng was set up by Sisters from Canada but now only Basotho Sisters remain. The home provides care and support for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. A pig farming project has been set up here. Orphans and vulnerable children are trained in pig farming, marketing and small business skills. The children benefit from the food supply from the pigs, and also generate income for the centre. Speaking about the project Sister Margaret, Director of the centre said: "The project will feed the children and I will sell meat to buy necessary things for the children".
St. James's Mission Hospital
A medium sized hospital that serves 76,116 people in the surrounding mountainous area. Access to clinics and patients from the hospital is extremely difficult. It now has a 4x4 Landcruiser so the hospital can run home-based care projects, provide follow up for patients and extend the coverage of the HIV and Aids programme, as well as emergency transport when needed. Nurse, Me Matholo Fusi explains that, "We will not have a problem to perform follow ups and understand the problems of the support groups [of people living with HIV and AIDS] and others face. The vehicle alleviates issues of transportation in the hospital."
The Lesotho Youth Federation
The Lesotho Youth Federation aims to help young people realize their potential and participate as citizens in society. The federation is managing a youth behavioural change HIV/AIDS project to train 1500 young people in HIV/AIDS prevention. They use youth camps and sports activities in Kokokoaneng (Berea), Mashai (Thaba-Tseka) and Maphutseng (Mohale Hoek). In addition the Young Christian Students are going to train 100 youth as HIV/AIDS peer educators to train other young people in HIV/AIDS prevention.
Thuso E Tla Tsoa Kae
This centre in Butha Buthe is a vocational school for children with disabilities. The children are taught to become self-reliant and have equal opportunities in life. A new ceiling and insulation have been provided for the dormitories as they were too cold in winter and too hot in the summer. The centre has also been connected to a mains water supply so the children don't have to walk 3km to collect water from a stream for washing, gardening and cooking. A pastor who is on the board, explains how "the water will enable us to grow more food and in the future we can perhaps sell the produce to others for income and develop other small projects".
Young Christian Students
This group focuses on civic education, leadership training, conflict management, and information dissemination. They work towards human rights advocacy for OVCs and people living with HIV and AIDS. This is done through activities, sports programmes, workshops and raising awareness through rallies. Funding has helped the group cover expenses for their activities including salaries, transport, meals, computer equipment, stationery and bills.
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© Sentebale 2007
