The opening of Africa's Mamohato Children's Centre is a truly festive occasion with Prince Harry in attendance for the ceremony. The centre is an expansion of the HIV and AIDS charity Sentebale, which is under Prince Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso's collaboration.
The Mamohato Children's Centre will be the flagship for Sentebale projects aimed at supporting children affected by HIV/AIDS, orphans, children with disabilities and even herd boys from the highlands. Besides care, the centre will provide education to these children.
Prince Harry's speech painted the background for all the work he had put into Sentebale and Mamohato: 'Eleven years ago I made my first visit to Lesotho, with the help of Prince Seeiso.
'As we travelled the country I was amazed by its raw beauty; but I was also struck by the many children I met whose lives had been shattered by the loss of a parent and in some cases both.
'I couldn't believe that so many children had been robbed of their childhoods by extreme poverty and the ravages of HIV and AIDS. Behind those smiles it was clear they desperately needed care, attention and above all, love.
The kingdom of Lesotho is among the smallest countries in the world. It also has the second highest number of HIV and AIDS cases globally.
The prince was not just a generous benefactor who stands in the backgrounds but is a truly active champion. In this visit, the prince is seen getting his hands dirty and joining the children in their activities. He made sure that everyone got involved and joined in: 'These activities improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of the children and young people, helping to breakdown stigma, increase self-esteem, self-worth, adherence to anti-retroviral therapy and ultimately, life-expectancy.'
Prince Harry is as good as his word and in fact shares a remarkable friendship with one of the wards at Mants'ase Children's Home, which is partially funded by Sentebale. Young Mutsu Potsane, now 15, and Prince Harry have been good friends and have kept in close contact since Prince Harry first met Mutsu during his initial visit to Lesotho 11 years ago.
Mamohato Children's Centre is built upon the land donated by Prince Seeiso's father King Letsie III. The £2M-work toward building Mamohato had been funded by the thriving Sentebale. The work was well-planned and well-financed and was completed as scheduled. One of the rooms in the centre, the Diana Hall, is named after Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana. Another room was named in honour of the prince's nanny Olga Powell.
Singer and Sentebale ambassador Joss Stone is also on hand to perform for the charity's donors.
See also:
- HIV and AIDS Trends Decline, Deepak Chopra Says HIV Does NOT Cause AIDs, Healthy Diet When HIV Positive
- Prince Charles: The Environmentalist Prince of Wales and His Cheese and Wine Powered Aston Martin
- Childhood Stress: Heart Diseases, Diabetes and Other Disorders May Be Rooted in Stress During Childhood
