BY: ’Moelo Motsiri
MASERU
With the help of Petroleum Fund, Giving Tuesday Lesotho donated basic needs to Mohlomi Hospital Forensic Unit at the hospital premises Maseru, last week.
Up to 72 men and three women received the gifts which included cosmetics, blankets, socks and mattresses to improve sanitation and provide warmth this winter.
Giving Tuesday, is a charitable global organisation which started in America.
“This organisation was created to meaningfully touch the lives of those in need by giving them tangible things and the services,” said the organisation’s country leader, Limpho Moteuli Ndleleni, speaking at the event.
The organisation Chief Operations Officer, ’Matumelo Moleko, said the aim of the event was to donate basic needs to the forensic unit. This donation was motivated after members of the charity visited and noticed the dire need.
“After noticing the needs of these people, we could not rest so we went out and made the effort to gather these for them. We thank Petroleum Fund for helping us,” she said.
Moleko said they aim is to cover all the 10 districts of Lesotho, giving out the donations but specifically in the rural areas.
However, Petroleum Fund Public Relations Officer, Rorisng Mahlo, said they helped this organisation to give back to the community. He noted that Petroleum is grateful to Basotho who support it that’s why they found it appropriate to give back to community by helping Giving Tuesday.
“We deeply thought about how these people survive during this cold weather and imagined their struggles,” he shared. “It may be that some of them do not even have families visiting them, so you can imagine how much they are struggling, that is why we decided to help.”
In the show of gratitude, one of the forensic unit inmates uttered said: “We deeply express our gratitude to Giving Tuesday. What they did shows the love that the Bible talked about. These were exactly our needs,” he noted.
He particularly welcomed the socks, blankets and the mattrasses which will help to keep them warm, taking the opportunity to share other challenges they face at the facility.
“We always have some of our teeth removed due to lack of toothpaste, therefore toothpaste and brushes would indeed help us take care of our teech and maintain cleanliness. We are thankful,” he added.
Meanwhile, the hospital manager, ’Maholi Rampela expressed deepest gratitude too, describing the donations as a rescue to the forensic unit during this cold.
“I would like to show my deepest appreciation to Giving Tuesday. You helped us, raised us and covered our weaknesses. You really came to our rescue at a time we had nowhere to turn to. Thank you very much,” said Rampela, urging the charity to also help others in need.