Africa-Press – Lesotho. By Ntsoaki Masoto MOHALE’S HOEK Rutanang Community Foundation (RCF) has made remarkable impact in the lives of youth and vulnerable children among the communities in the district of Mohale’s Hoek.
The foundation has helped to fight poverty, provided education to vulnerable children and offered them life skills. RCF Director and Founder Matšeliso
Downard explained that the foundation was founded in 2013 with the intention to offer support to vulnerable children from the age of 10 years. She added that when
they started, they learnt that they cannot reach those vulnerable children without adults being involved and therefore introduced support groups for adults.
She further said RCF educates children on life skills, conducts leadership trainings and hosts a distinctive program on Dignity Campaign. She emphasized that the
Dignity Campaign focuses mostly on girls. “We teach them how to take care of themselves in order to reach their dreams in future,” she said. She further
said they are equipped with skills to overcome poverty and abuse in their families, schools and around their communities. RCF Director also said they have the Integrity Campaign for young males, which was
inspired by their realization that in today’s world there are no longer “old men who can impart skills to young boys on how to become better men for the
future. ” Downard further explained that under the Integrity Campaign, they educate young boys on manhood and that a real man is determined by integrity,
hard work, protection to vulnerable people and are not abusive. She said during the holidays, there are children clubs in different communities whereby children are educated about their rights.
In an effort to also empower women, Downard revealed that they train them on farming in order for them to be able to provide for their families as well as how
to take care of their children, how to discipline them in accordance with children’s rights. “We have also included teachers in our support groups so that they can know how to handle vulnerable children at school,” she said.
Downard pointed out that from the crops produced at the support groups, they share with orphanage homes, child-headed families and the foundation also helps some
children with their education fees through the sales of such vegetables. She said these are children who are not assisted by the Ministry of Social Development in their communities.
She said the foundation targets rural communities found in the Mohale’s Hoek district and indicated that ever since the foundation started, it has brought so much change as children are now able to
report abuse whereas before they had fear. RCF support group member ‘Matlalane Qhala said she joint the foundation in 2013 having realized that if they come together as a community, they can rise above
poverty. She added that this foundation has benefitted them a lot as a community, especially their children through life skills lessons. Qhala noted that the foundation has helped young girls to avoid teenage pregnancy and such cases
have declined in their communities. She said some of the challenges they face include that of parents who hesitate to allow their children to take part in
the foundation’s activities and lack of funds to support the foundation. Qhala highlighted that, however they were able to help vulnerable children with food
and school needs. “We have sent 7 children to school,” she said. She mentioned that the foundation wishes to have a well-mannered generation of young people who love education and have potential to take care of families in future.
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