Securing the Children
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, who serves as a CARE ambassador, recently visited Lesotho and South Africa to gain firsthand knowledge of CARE's work with women. In one town in Lesotho, Mayor Franklin learned how the CARE project Secure the Child is helping orphans and vulnerable children grow their own nutritious food.
 Video: Mayor Shirley Franklin in Lesotho |
"Go and work in the garden!" was a command many Lesotho children loathed hearing. Once considered a form of punishment, "naughty" kids were banished to the outdoors to labor in family gardens for such youthful offenses as disrespecting their elders or dodging chores.
Ironically, the same patch of land that children were once forced to nurture is now nurturing them. For 17-year-old Relebohile and her 14-year-old brother, Teboho, the garden has become a lifesaver.
Relebohile lost her mother to AIDS in 2000. For the next five years, she cared for her ailing father, who was also suffering from the disease. With her father's death, Relebohile and Teboho became what are known as "double orphans."
In 2003, there were an estimated 15 million AIDS orphans worldwide, and the number is expected to increase to 25 million by 2010. At more than 25 percent, Lesotho has one of the highest HIV infection rates of any country. Fortunately, the Lesotho government is committed to helping the vast number of families whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS.
A short walk from her house, Relebohile attends Likuena High School in the town of Mohales Hoek. Here, in addition to the usual subjects, students are taught "garden cultivation skills" as part of the school's participation in CARE's Secure the Child project. The project aims at protecting a child's basic right to food by creating sustainable food sources for orphans and vulnerable children.
In Mohales Hoek, Secure the Child operates in 12 mixed primary and high schools, and partners with an additional nine schools in nearby districts. Out of the 2,500 kids enrolled in the schools, 1,700 are orphans. By the end of the Secure the Child project, it is anticipated that at least 5000 children in 40 schools will benefit from the program.
During the day, students at Likuena High participate in the planting, watering and weeding of the school's large vegetable and fruit garden. On occasion, they even help with food preparation in the campus kitchen. Thanks to this fresh food supply, the students happily gather at lunchtime for at least one nutritious meal a day.
Relebohile started her own garden last year with the training and tools supplied by CARE. Prior to that, she and her brother searched for wild vegetables from nearby fields sometimes going hungry if none were found. They now begin each morning with breakfast that Relebohile prepares with food from her garden — situated only steps away from her front door.
A good student, Relebohile aspires to become a doctor, and has already been accepted to Lesotho's national university, located two hours away in the capital city of Maseru. In the meantime, she spends most of her free time studying — leaving little room for friends with the exception of a girl named Kekeletso, who also lost her mother to HIV/AIDS.
Mayor Franklin, who serves as a CARE ambassador, visited Lesotho and South Africa to gain firsthand knowledge of CARE's work with women. With this new understanding, Mayor Franklin will work to raise awareness of issues, such as gender equality and basic human rights, affecting women living in poverty.
When Mayor Franklin arrived, Relebohile shyly greeted her and dutifully led her on a tour of her garden of lettuce, carrots, beets and a peach tree, which, as Mayor Franklin pointed out, "is a well-known fruit from my home state." Afterwards, they walked together to Relebohilie's house and sat down at the kitchen table to become better acquainted.
"I do like school," stated Relebohile when asked by Mayor Franklin about her studies. "If I work hard I will pass my subjects well." The mayor and Relebohile agree on the importance of education, and they also share a similar taste in authors, as evident by a book the mayor spotted on a kitchen shelf. Impressed that Relebohile had already crossed Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" off of her reading list, Mayor Franklin revealed, "I did not read that book until college."
During the mayor's visit, they were joined by Kekeletso, but to Relebohilie's dismay, there was no sign of Teboho. When asked about her brother's whereabouts, Relebohile replied, "I don't know... but I am going to have to punish him for not showing up." Asked what the punishment would be, she responded, "I will probably have him gather water for a few days."
Accepting her new role, Relebohile is determined to create a bright future for herself and Teboho — even if it means doling out harsh reprimands. "I must be strict because he has to learn right from wrong," she added. Before their lives changed, Teboho's punishment might have been pulling overgrowth from the garden — but now the garden is too well-tended to serve as punishment.
Mayor Shirley Franklin Visits CARE Projects in South Africa (ajc.com)
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