Boost for Royal Education Trust

MASERU – NEDBANK last Friday donated M204 000 to the Royal Education Development Trust and the Hlokomela Banana Project.
The royal family will pass over M54 000 to the education trust, which raises tuition fees for needy children.
The remaining M150 000 will be passed over to Hlokomela Banana, a project aimed at assisting girls’ health and sanitary needs.
The project was initiated after it was realised that many girls from poor families fail to attend classes during their menstrual periods because they do not have sanitary pads.

Queen ’Masenate Mohato Seeiso is the patron of both projects. The donation was received by King Letsie III and the Queen last Friday.
The donation is part of the bank’s ongoing corporate social investment programmes. The partnership with the Royal Education Development Trust is a long term one, with the bank annually contributing to the trust as part of celebrations to mark the King’s birthday.

This is the first time the bank has contributed to the Hlokomela Banana Project. The M150 000 contribution will assist an estimated 1 500 girls across several districts where the bank has a presence. Speaking at the event Nedbank Managing Director, PJ Bouwer, said the donation was part of the celebrations for the King’s 54th birthday. He said the donation will help children in Lesotho meet their education needs, “which without the Trust would not normally be possible”.

“The birthday gift maybe delayed but our noble intent remains true in wanting to support the work of the Trust in making children’s dreams become a reality,” Bouwer said. He said money that has been handed to the Queen’s project will help in meeting the basic health and sanitary needs of girls in high schools.

“This will ensure that they do not miss a day at school,” he said. King Letsie III said it is never late to receive such a birthday gift.
He thanked the bank for offering a helping hand to Basotho children.

He said this will help some Basotho children who do not come from privileged homes.
He said he knows that despite operating in a difficult environment the bank had chosen to help Basotho children.
“We hope that we will still be helped in the future,” he said.

Queen ’Masenate said this will help the girls not to miss a day in school.
She said there is need for sanitary towels which some families take for granted.
She said her wish is that sanitary towels must be freely available.
“We hope that what the bank has done happens yearly and turn this into an ongoing project,” she said.

’Makhotso Rakotsoane