Graff Leadership Centre in Lesotho with Help Lesotho

Help Lesotho programming is currently located at various sites until the centre is finished in its entirety.

Among the programmes this month was a highly successful Sports and HIV Event in partnership with Kick 4 Life to disseminate information, testing opportunities and raise awareness on issues relating to HIV/AIDS. Approximately 680 attended a whole day of games, education, fun and testing.

Another example of outreach to local youth is the Anti-AIDS Club debate with participation of students from four local high schools.  The youth spent at least two months preparing with support from the Graff Leadership Centre programme staff, such as the Leadership Programme Manager and Youth Leadership Officer, both funded by the FACET Foundation.

Help Lesotho has run a series of Young Women’s Gender multi-day conferences since 2006 called “Step Up and Speak Out” which will now be held at the Graff Leadership Centre. April will see the first  Young Men’s Gender Conference, funded by the FACET Foundation. Session will explore leadership skills and opportunities, healthy relationships, gender equity, safe sex, HIV/AIDS, grief and loss and making positive decisions.

Building staff capacity is a fundamental part of the Help Lesotho approach and with funding from the Facet Foundation, programme staff received a special Nutritional Training this month with facilitator Allison Schmale, a trained nutritionist. Given the state of health of most centre participants, this increased knowledge and understanding of the importance of nutrition will be invaluable and benefit all who come.

The Help Lesotho Leader Corps are a group of youth between 18-28 selected from a three month training program work as peer leaders and program helpers in the centre programmes. These youth are fine example of the value of training young people to make a difference in their communities. These youth receive a modest stipend, funded by the Facet Foundation, for their participation. They continue to training and mentoring as they learn to take on more responsibilities and activities.

Graff Leadership Centre in South Africa with Pebbles

THE FACET Foundation has decided to collaborate with the Pebbles Project (more info on Pebbles and its forthcoming work with FACET to be found under Projects) which is based in Stellenbosch Winelands and which looks after children affected by alcoholism and problems derived from this.

The Pebbles Project has potentially been given land by the Stellenbosch municipality and have begun the process of securing it for the second Graff Leadership Centre.

Graff Leadership Centre in Botswana

The FACET Foundation is looking at various charities in Botswana with whom to work on a leadership in the country.