The Prime Minister's wife Mrs 'Mathato Mosisili handed over a donation of food and clothes for abandoned and HIV/AIDS infected children staying at the Beautiful Gate Centre in Maseru on Friday 06 September,2002. The donation included 80 kilograms of sorghum, a bag of vegetables, 20 tins of infants milk as well as clothes that included shirts, track suits, hats and socks.

Speaking at the occasion, Mrs Mosisili said it is the responsibility of every citizen to ensure that children staying at centres like the Beautiful Gate Centre for abandoned and HIV/AIDS infected children, get maximum support so that such children can grow up in a healthy environment. Mrs. Mosisili condemned the practice whereby some women abandon their children after giving birth to them, saying such parents are throwing their responsibility to other people. She however noted that some of the abandoned children are born from young girls, who leave their homes to the towns to seek jobs, where they end up being sexually abused and having unwanted pregnancies.

Mrs. Mosisili added that the state of poverty in the country can also  be considered as one factor that contributes to the increase of abandoned children, suggesting that funds from outside the country which are aimed at assisting  centres which house abandoned children could be used to establish sustainable income generating projects, the problem could be addressed.

At the occasion, The Director of the Beautiful Gate Centre for  abandoned and HIV/AIDS infected children Mr. Ray Haakonsen said the centre appreciates the donation, stating that it is only through donations that the centre achieves the objective of saving the lives of children that seem to be neglected. He said some of the children come from various hospitals where their parents left them and some have lost their mothers during birth  while others were brought to the centre by their mothers who could not afford to look after them.

He stated that the intension is that when the children are grown, the centre would encourage some members of the community to adopt them  saying if the attempt fails, it would be the responsibility of the centre to cater for their welfare. The centre was established in June last year with seven children and the number has increased to 20.

06 September,2002