Winter Fundraiser Update
Day by day we see evidence of spring creeping across Lesotho. Each morning the blue mountains show a little more green and pink with the new grass and blooming fruit trees. The PCC gardens are getting tilled and planted with vegetables and the children have returned to school after the long winter break. As we celebrate the warmer season, we hang up our warmest winter clothes with gratitude for those who joined in our winter fundraising efforts. Thanks to the generous donations, prayers, and shares, 41 children had their winter wear sponsored! Of course we made sure that each and every child had warm clothing for the entirety of winter. We decided to try a new thing with the sponsorship method. It doesn’t seem to have brought in the same level of funds as previous efforts. However, what seems to have been a huge success is providing a way for folks all over the world to develop a deeper connection with individual children. We hope you enjoy recognizing your sponsored kids in pictures as the year continues!
Schooling Woes
Schooling since winter break has been a significant challenge for our kids and staff. All across Lesotho, public school teachers went on strike as school resumed. After 5 weeks, the strike continues. In some cases, the teachers have resumed teaching. But in some schools (including one of the primary schools that PCC children attend) the teachers are present on the property, yet refuse to teach. The PCC staff and ‘Me Jill are making plans to provide homeschooling for the children affected until the strike is settled. We are blessed to have some passionate champions for our children’s educations, like ‘Me Jill and Ntate Khosana.
Shepherd School
In other news of education, ‘Me Jill is spearheading a Shepherd School under the banner of PCC’s parent charity All For Africa’s Children Today: Lesotho (AFACTL). The Shepherd School is now underway. In Basotho culture, it is common for young boys to work as shepherds as a means of providing for their families. This, however, prevents them from attending traditional school. The idea of the Shepherd School is to provide the shepherds with an opportunity to receive schooling in the evenings after their work is done. It’s an important service in our community and we tip our hats to Jill and her crew! (This project is funded separately from Pulane Children’s Centre operations.)
Greenhouse Renovation
This year we received a grant from longtime ministry partners Team Hope in Ireland to renovate the two greenhouses on PCC property. Our staff completed the project over the winter and the greenhouses are now ready to start vegetable seeds. Often the tomatoes are started here and then transplanted in November. We look forward to seeing what Ntate Labone and the boys decided to grow this year!
New Kids
Since our last update, we have taken 4 new children into care. One toddler, Caleb, and three sisters: Faith, Hope, and Joy. As always, the new children were welcomed with open arms and quickly adapted to the love and safety of their new home.