Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
Isaiah Morewagae
30 October 2009
Gaborone — The Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation (SKMF) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States of America, (US) Healing Homes project (HHP).
Speaking at the signing ceremony, SKMF Acting Chairperson Mmetla Masire said the partnership is an endeavour to work together at making a difference to children at Dula Sentle orphanage in Otse Village. Masire announced that the centre would start operations next February or March with the hope of opening more similar centres across the country. "The centre was closed a few years ago and this closure brought despair to the children who had grown accustomed to it," Masire said.
Masire added that even though they have three underlying objectives at the foundation, they have concentrated much on assisting those children with congenital disabilities. "Our other objectives are promoting peace, good governance and political stability which the former pr esident Sir Ketumile has already been doing and also we aim at promoting innovation and alternatives in agriculture", Masire said. He further pointed out that their main aim of their partnership is to restore hope to the children by providing them with a home away from home. Masire also said they would be taking orphaned children up to the age of 21. "We do not want to build a culture of dependency," Masire said.
The founder of the HHP project Dawn Hill said she was aware that Botswana had about 120, 000 orphaned children. However, they are aiming at providing safe, sufficient and sustainable environment for 120 orphans at Dula Sentle Orphanage. Hill said HHP recognized that the needs of Africa's children and will help the children by giving them a safe home and secure home where they will be care for, given food, medicine and education. "Every day after school, the children will arrive at the centre where they will receive help with their homework, socialise with their peers and eat a balanced meal before returning home," Hill said.
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