To children in a home environment, there is always a lot to look forward to this time of the year.
December is a month of family get togethers as it is a festive and joyful month; Christmas and the New Year are welcomed then and family, friends and relatives gather.
Children get excited at the prospect of receiving new presents, being allowed to eat lots of food and getting away from the city to visit their relatives in far-away places.
Children in a home environment have so much to look forward to.
But are we not forgetting something?
What about the children and orphans in shelters around the country?
There is no relative to even hold their hand and impart that assurance we all grow up taking for granted.
Even as they enjoy donated things and seek comfort and security in the arms of strangers, they always wonder why they are not with their own families.
What are we doing to help as the society?
Botswana Post responded ChildLine’s plea on Friday the by offering financial assistance amounting to P60, 000.
They organised an intimate gathering to donate the funds, which they managed to raise through the Inaugural Chairman’s Golf Day held on the 8th October 2010.
Botswana Post Board Chairman, Martin Makgatlhe, stated that he was very pleased to be at the special event of ‘giving’.
“At Botswana Post, we recognise our societal responsibilities to the communities where we do business and we are committed to assist where we can,” said Makgatlhe. “We also recognise that the government alone will not cope with the responsibility of providing for the less privileged in our society.”
Makgatlhe urged the Chairman’s Golf Challenge to continue keeping the spirit of giving alive.
Onkemetse Mbazo, a coordinator of ChildLine Botswana, was genuinely grateful for Botswana Post’s donation, saying they did not expect this much.
”It is very hard caring for one child; imagine having to care for 20 children,” said Mbazo, who conceded that they are financially struggling very much as their budget for food and toiletry for the children approximates about P12, 000.
ChildLine Botswana offers temporary shelter for infants and children aged between 0months to 5 years.
Some of the children are brought in by the police or social workers for various reasons, ranging from neglect to abuse, as well as when parents are going through divorces.
Mbazo said that they have had some cases whereby a child was brought in with two broken arms.
She paid tribute to House Mothers currently caring for the children for treating the children like they are their own. She pointed out that this includes sleeping in with children when they get admitted to hospital.
Some of the House Mothers who were on day shift being Flora Seadimo, Matilda Chepete, Chandapiwa Lesole, Jane Kamalata and Maungo Ramusu are some of the House Mothers who were on day duty and attended the handing over of the donation.
“We love our job very much,” they said. “We do not have time for socialising at all because we are sometimes called at night to attend to the children.”
