Dula Sentle was a Day Care Center that opened up in 2002. Unfortunately due to defamation, bad mouthing and other issues it ended up being closed by the Government of Botswana in 2006. Under a new Management it will be reopened again at the end of 2009. "The Healing Homes Project", a US based NGO has taken on the assets of the old Trust and transferred them into a new Trust. As of October 2009 the cleaning and renovation of the Center is planned in order to put it back into its beautiful "old" shape.

 
The "old" Centre you can see above was built in 2003 and used to care for 160 children from and around Otse, a village to the South of the capital Gaborone. The children came daily after school and were grouped into three age groups, the beetles, the grasshoppers. and the skorpions. They received lunch at the Center and then, depending on their age groups, undertaook various activities such as computer courses, supervised homework and schooling help, councelling sessions and discussions, play, sports and most of all music lessons. Music was one of the major means for the children to overcome their sorrows and help in coping with their daily lives. Approx. 90% of the children have lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS and can often not be cared for appropriately by their caregivers.

 

The closing of the Center affected the children badly and many good resolutions could not be upheld. Some of the older girls became pregnant prematurely, some became infected with the HIV-Virus and many suffered in school.  
 

It is therefore essential that the Center is reopened quickly so as not to lose more precious time the children need for support and councelling.

The Capricorn Foundation has supported this project since 2004 and has fought hard to have the center reopened. Together with "The Healing Homes Project" we look forward to reopening the Center again.

 

The Capricorn Foundation will finance the renovation work and cleaning up in October 2009.

 

The pictures show the center in its old function and in comparison the state it is in today before the renovation work and cleaning of the premises. The Junglegym was sponsored by the Capricorn Foundation in 2005. The colourful clothes were sent to Botswana and the swimming suits were Christmas presents donated by the Groebenbach School. We also sponsored the Sick Bay (not shown here) as well as many other things. 

 

Read more on "The Healing Homes Project" here: www.healinghomesproject.org

All news and developments can be found in our Newsletters on the "Events & News" button.

 
   


Botswana

 

 

"Dula Sentle"