LEC donates to Beautiful Gate, Itjareng

Nthatuoa Koeshe

THE Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) on Friday donated M40 000 to Itjareng Vocational Training Centre and Beautiful Gate Lesotho Children’s Home to help ease the Coronavirus (Covid-19) induced economic hardships faced by the two institutions.

Itjareng Vocational Training Centre received hand sanitisers worth M5 000 and an electricity voucher valued at M10 000. Beautiful Gate Lesotho received M15 000 worth of electricity, baby nappies, milk formula and wipes worth M10 000.

Acting LEC chief executive officer Liteboho Ramoqopo said the initiative was his company’s way of giving back to the disadvantaged people in Lesotho.

“Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives matter a lot to us as the only company in the country that supplies, transmits and distributes electricity,” Mr Ramoqopo said.

“We are committed to narrowing the economic gap between the advantaged and disadvantaged communities through donating to the less fortunate.

“Taking care of families by providing food and other essentials, paying rent and keeping the lights on has become tougher than before for many people as a result of Covid-19. The pandemic is a test of the nation’s collective strength.”

On her part, LEC customer relations general manager, Lerato Tšosane, said they started CSR initiatives in 2001 and they were more inclined towards giving to the vulnerable.

“Seeing the children here and remembering that our slogan is ‘We light up the nation’, we thought it was fitting to bring light to these children,” Ms Tšosane said.

Beautiful Gate Lesotho’s operations director Lindiwe Kirstein hailed the “timely” LEC donation, saying they had endured a difficult period over the past few months.

“You do not just light the nation but you also light up people’s hearts and today’s gesture is evidence of that,” Ms Kirstein said.

She said the donation would enable them to feed, educate and meet the children’s emotional and physical needs.

Beautiful Gate Lesotho was founded in June of 2001 and currently has 77 children aged zero to five years.

Itjareng Vocational Training Centre was founded in 1988 by the National Association of the Physically Disabled People (LNAPD). Since its inception, 1373 students have graduated from the institution.

The institution currently has 58 students who will be graduating at the end of the year. All learners reside at the centre. They are enrolled in the departments of leather work, carpentry, sewing, metal work and agriculture.