UNICEF DONATES GARDENING TOOLS TO ORPHANS

 The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) donated gardening tools and seeds to four child-headed households' orphans at Popa and Phamong on Thursday. Speaking during the presentation of the donation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is also a member of parliament for Senqu constituency, Mr.Mohlabi Tsekoa, said the donation is a sign of good working relations between the government and UNICEF as a UN agency in the fight against poverty.

Mr Tsekoa said while the government is engaged in donating food to vulnerable people and assisting communities with summer cropping, UNICEF also wants  child related problems solved, particularly of orphans. He appealed to chiefs and the  community to take  responsibility in protecting the equipment so that the targeted group could benefit even in the future, adding that it is through their support that the intentions will live longer. He appealed to the beneficiaries to work hard to grow vegetables to feed themselves and sell the surplus to the community so that they could live a better life.

Speaking at the occasion, the UNICEF representative, Mrs Kimberly Gamble-Payne, said donating gardening tools to the orphans is a beginning of the support to children, who are bound by circumstances to fend for themselves. Mrs. Gamble-Payne said UNICEF would continue to ensure that providing food,education and sustainable health to grow happy and healthy protects children's rights. She said UN agencies are working hard to support Basotho in their problems, adding that the agencies will maintain its support to help Lesotho overcome the present crisis of starvation.

In her vote of thanks, Mokete Mokoalaba, who stays with his two sisters and a younger brother, thanked UNICEF and the government for the donation. He said, since the loss of their parents, they have been engaged in vegetable gardening on a small scale. He expressed hope that the donation will help them improve their production and become better farmers." It is encouraging to realize that we are not neglected by the society and the government", he said, adding that with this kind of support their livelihood will be improved.

 UNICEF has allocated M1 million, which would be used for supporting orphans with gardening tools and seeds in  the districts of Mokhotlong, Mohale'hoek, and Maseru for a period of seven months starting next month.

18 October, 2002