The Semonkong Sponsorship Project
Written by the Manager Timothy Tlooko with additions by Annette Samsom
In 2003 Dorcas Aid International (DAI) from the Netherlands began a Project to sponsor children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Semonkong, Lesotho. Jill Kinsey, an English missionary, was sent to Semonkong to start the project. Jill discovered that the orphans were often living with elderly grandparents who were finding it nearly impossible to find the means to look after so many grandchildren. Jill herself took some of the children into care (Semonkong Children’s Centre was born) and suggested to Dorcas that the grandparents should be sponsored to help them look after their grandchildren. Thus the ‘Adopt a Granny’ project from DAI took shape. However, DAI continued with sponsoring children and Timothy Tlooko joined the project in 2005.
DAI handed over the project to an NGO “Tabitha Care Association” (TCA) from 2007 – 2009 but the project did not go well and it was scheduled to be closed. However, when Michael Gendhi, the DAI’s International Director arrived from the Netherlands to close it down he found he could not because of the great need and the poor state of the children: “many a pair of shoes was worn-out!” He decided to continue with the project under one staff member (Timothy) as of January 2010.
The project was then closely monitored by Dorcas Aid International South Africa (DAISA) which was the Regional Field Office for DAI’s projects in Southern Africa. The project slightly changed its methods of operating; small sustainable projects were explored such as: poultry project for elderly, Parma-culture and handicrafts(mohair spinning) as well as recruiting staff members and volunteers. The poultry project was mainly meant to alleviate poverty through the utilization of eggs and organic meat consumption with comparatively low cost as opposed to buying from supermarkets. That small project existed for 3 consecutive years; but we had a feeling that some grannies slaughtered their chickens while other poultry died from poultry disease outbreak.
The introduction of keyhole farming gardens seemed to work well because elderly people do not need to do much physical hard work once this type of vegetable garden is set-up. However, during icy-cold winter months, they lacked nets to cover their crops. Which meant that their produce would completely freeze as the area temperatures sometimes became as low as minus 10°cto -15°c. Handicrafts enterprises were tried, too, but often failed due to the fact that spinning itself needs powerand already worn-out muscles did not have the strength. Long distance walkingto the training point contributed negatively to the health of the old people until the number declined from over 100 to zero trainees within a 3 months period.
The number of elderly people cared for and supported under DAI “Adopt a Granny” project increased from 56 in 2010 to 128 by the end of 2017. Each of these beneficiaries had an individual sponsor who made a contract with DAI to pay a monthly fee to cater for ‘their’ grandparent’s needs. The support was mainly given in kind – no money in cash would be provided except for special cases. Only needs would be provided by the project for the informed concerns of such beneficiaries. Collective and/or uninformed needs would be assessed as well as individual beneficiary’s needs. 15% of the total donation and/or funds would cater for the project Administration. Likewise, the children’s project also grew from 65 to 125 beneficiaries.
Since then, basic health training sessions for the elderly and their caretakers as well as collective Bible sessions seem to be working well. Psychosocial support services (counselling sessions on numerous topics, home visits by staff and other members of the community) are also successful. The group sessions are held to coincide with the monthly distribution of Aid packages (food, clothes, shoes, blankets & household basic commodities).
From 2015 to end 2017Timothy explored a collective Money Savings and Loans scheme amongst the project beneficiaries which would basically help elderly to save money and have an opportunity to borrow funds for personal errands. At the same time the little interest charged for borrowing from their pool would be shared among the members at the end of their scheduled term. The sharing ratio would be: the higher the savings invested the more interest accumulation would be awarded!
HOW DID DAISA WORK WITH SEMONKONG PROJECT?
Timothy opened a separate Bank Account into which DAISA would transfer funds on a monthly basis. Monthly finances reporting were required with supporting documents (bank statements, receipts, pictures of events conducted, quotations, requisitions and proof of purchases/payment). This method operated well for 6 consecutive years from 2010 to 2016 when DAISA closed down.
DAI LEAVES SOUTHERN AFRICA.
Without any pre warning the International director of DAI announced during the grandparents’ Christmas party in December 2017 that the project would be closed down with immediate effect. However the director was persuaded to keep the project going for at least 6 more months. There was much distress and unrest both in Semonkong and in the Netherlands. Since the second half of 2018 several beneficiaries (elderly) passed away owing to severe developed hypertension probably caused because of the stress arising from the sudden changes.
ALL FOR AFRICA’S CHILDREN TODAY IN LESOTHO
A new partner called All for Africa’s Children Today in Lesotho(AFACTL) has offered to oversee any funds which can be found for the Semonkong Project. The Trust was set up for Pulane Children’s Centre (PCC) which was founded by Jill Kinsey and Grant Strugnell in 2008. Jill is now semi-retired and living in Pulane and Grant is the director of PCC and also flies as a pilot for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).
The grandparents are no longer individually sponsored but through AFACTL they have been supported with at least basic food packages and pastoral care monthly via a Netherlands good hearted individual by the name of Annette Samson and other persons, including Christ Church Anglican Church in Heiloo the Netherlands. The project facilitator Timothy Tlooko remains at his post accepting a smaller salary than that which he was receiving from DAI. It is thanks to Timothy that the project is still running so well.
Update Nov 2021:
Number of enrolled beneficiaries: 74 women and 2 men.
Object: To organize a monthly meeting for the needy elderly people or their representatives if they are unable to come themselves to the meeting place. The collection of the food is preceded by a time of fellowship together.
Ntate Timothy Tlooko is the manager in charge ably supported by Maitu, Denecia and Mike. They are keeping to the corona safety measures during the distribution of the food.
The food which is distributed is mainly maize meal, cooking oil, soup, sugar , salt or tinned peas. Candles and soap are sometimes also added.
The Grandparents are a particularly impoverished group in a country where there is much poverty amongst all ages of the population. The HIV AIDS epidemic has decimated the number of young parents leaving sometimes many young children in the care of their own parents who are the grandparents of today.