Martin Nyirenda
24 November 2008
Tlokweng Member of Parliament, Olebile Gaborone and his wife Annah, hosted a successful dinner last weekend in Tlokweng to raise money for the Botswana Retired Nurses Society (BORNUS).
The Gaborone family has for the last two years demonstrated the culture of compassion and caring for the less privileged members of society.
BORNUS provides comprehensive community care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS and terminally or chronically ill persons.
Lucretia Koodibetse from the BORNUS's Community Relief Day Care Centre said that in view of the benefits derived from the last two dinner events (2006-2007), the society has started building a classroom and an ablution block for orphans and vulnerable children aged between two and six-years-old under the Development Stimulation Programme.
She was happy with the noble work of the Gaborone family, urging others to emulate the legislator so that society could realise the aspirations of Vision 2016.
The MP announced: "My wife and I realised that this is the time of the year when many people party as the festive season approaches. Unfortunately, BORNUS, who are doing noble work on a shoe-string budget, struggle to host a Christmas party for their clients".
The 2008 dinner raised P20,000 Gaborone added: "The first dinner was a success as invitees made generous donations in the form of food parcels, clothing and money, which put a smile on the faces of the sick as they had Christmas parcels to take home".
The first dinner raised P11,000 while the second party managed to raise a staggering P16,000 including a lot of food parcels, clothes and toiletry.
He pointed out that some members of the public and well-wishers of BORNUS have suggested that the event should be designed as a fund-raising dinner to bear more positive results.
There was entertainment by the Tlokweng Chorale, Methodist Church choir, Dutch Reformed Church choir, Sikwane Circuit, Thakadu Choristers, Tlokweng Land Board and Gaborone Chorale. Boitumelo Pilane also participated.
Gaborone disclosed: "My wife and I have long association with charitable work going back to 1995 when we helped the Red Cross in South east, specifically in relation to the party for the elderly.
"We give vegetables on a weekly basis to the home-based care group who are looking after the sick."Annah Gaborone added, with a sense of satisfaction: "We feel very much attached to this effort and this year, the dinner was a success as more people begin to appreciate the initiative."
BORNUS's Community Relief Day care Centre strives to relieve the burden of care on individuals, families, communities and health facilities through the provision of comprehensive quality health care and support for people living with the HIV/AIDS, orphans and those with chronic and terminal illnesses.
The Centre increases the accessibility of care and support services to infected and affected - invariably relieving the burden of care on care-givers and allow them to participate in community development activities.
The Centre educates, counsels and prepares people living with HIV/AIDS intervention programmes and provide knowledge on general health facts.
Another aspect of the centre's objective is to educate the community on the importance of voluntary counselling and testing.
The centre also provides feeding, counselling and rehabilitation as well as providing developmental stimulation for orphans and vulnerable children.
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