Help Educate 40 Bright Girls in Lesotho

I have been in Lesotho for nearly three weeks visiting family and checking on our project. My plan to visit some of the schools where some of our sponsored girls attend was hampered by the fact that government school teachers are currently on strike over a pay issue. We are hoping that these strikes will not have an adverse effect on the performance of the girls, especially those writing their final high school exams this year.

Early last month our local partner Ithuteng Basetsana Educare Association (IBEA) held a weekend workshop for our sponsored girls. The aim of the workshop was to give the girls the chance to meet their fellow sponsees, compare notes and motivate each other. One of our former sponsored girls also attended the workshop along with teachers from each school. This young woman is now a trained teacher. The workshop provided sessions on life skills for the young women, covering issues such as self-believe, motivation and embracing hard work to in order to achieve one's goals. Feedback from the girls seems to indicate that they thoroughly enjoyed the event and would like it to be repeated annually as a minimum, which seems to be a good idea. The most encouraging thing to us at Educare Fund is that not only was the workshop a local idea, but it was actually locally funded by IBEA through fundraising activities and local sponsorships.

Feedback from the workshops indicates that the girls felt they had learned a lot from the event. They also indicated that the partnership between Educare Fund and IBEA is important to them and that they would like it to continue.

Here’s what Tsepang says about the workshop:

In my opinion, the workshop was excellent. The Educare Fund/IBEA  partnership motivates us, girls, to strive for a better future with the knowledge that it is up to us to achieve our own goals, that our today does not define our tomorrow and that we each can achieve anything we want. The workshop helped me feel more confident and I was able to talk to people had not met before.

Another workshop attendee remarked that the workshop reduced the isolation of thinking that you are the only person experiencing certain problems in life when you meet people with similar issues. All remarks about the workshop were really positive.

A batch of the annual feedback letters reconfirms the need for continued support for girls education in Lesotho. Mahlape said:

You have played an important part in my life (by paying for my school fees). I am now able to fully concentrate on my studies and have no further worries about unpaid school fees and the threat of being laid off school.

Ten more girls will finish high school this year and it is all thanks to you. Clearly, going by the comments from the girls, your gifts are very highly appreciated. We know that the success of our project is largely because of your support. For this, we are really grateful.

Warm regards

Lphethiso Monica

It gives me great pleasure to have this opportunity to thank you yet again and to remind you of the great work you are doing. Your work with Educare Fund is continuing to bear fruit, changing the lives of the young women in Lesotho. In addition to individual benefit, feedback from beneficiaries indicates that the effect of your kind gifts extends further than the individual girl. The ripple of effect is helping to lift the individual girl out of poverty, enabling them to begin the process of reducing poverty in their families. Although we have not traced all the beneficiaries, those that we are in contact with do bear testimony to the success of your generosity. We are proud to report that pretty much all these girls have seized the opportunities you made available and have gone on to become successful people. Your very kind support for these girls has clearly laid the foundation stone in the long process of reducing poverty for these girls and their future dependents.

It is gratifying to have the chance to share with you the success stories of our beneficiaries. I am sure you will agree that supporting these girls is a very worthwhile activity and indeed it is clear that these girls already have the potential to excel. As an example, Karabo’s school performance immediately improved once she had no further worries about school fees. Being able to continue her education gave Karabo an opportunity to shine. She was subsequently chosen to represent Lesotho at a coding workshop in South Africa. Needless to say, this would not have been possible had she not been able to continue her schooling.

I hope you will take pride in the example you have set for some of the people who have become aware of your kind support for the young women in Lesotho. You have sown the seed of generosity and have inspired some local giving. Some of the local donors are teachers who have directly observed at close quarters, the effect of your generosity on the young people they work with. Among our new local donors is a former beneficiary who has turned the corner and is now able to give in her turn. Mpho finished high school a number of years ago, went to university and is now a working woman. We are ever so proud of her achievement.

We are really grateful for your continuing support for Educare Fund. None of the work we do would be possible without your very generous gifts.

Warm regards

Liphethiso Monica