The care-givers support groups that benefited from the equipment are Phomolong, Mabote, Phopoletsa, Eleloang, Majoe a litsoene all from Maseru and Basali moho of Berea district.

These income generation equipment and other garden tools given to support groups were assisted with the support of Global Fund Round 2 HIV grant that phased-out on June 2009.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Founder of Phomolong Support group Mrs. Mathuso Moroeng thanked Skill share and Global Fund for the support saying without which the care-givers could not be able to help all the needy people in their community on their own.

“Through this project we received garden tools and seeds for homestead and communal gardens and established income generating projects that aimed at assisting orphans and vulnerable children, chronically ill and elderly people not to sleep hungry,” she said.

Moroeng promised that the garden tools and income generating equipment will be used effectively to produce vegetables and generate income to support the needy in their society.

In his remarks, the President of Lesotho Network of People Living With HIV and AIDS (LENEPWHA) Mr. Mohau Mabote thanked care-givers from all support groups for their dedication to assist OVC and chronically ill and elderly people especially at this time when HIV prevalence is high in Lesotho.

“The expectation is that each support group will use the equipment to train OVC on income generation so that they can take care of themselves in future,” he said.

He called on support groups to use sewing machine to make uniform not only for OVC but also for income generation adding that it is now time to look for uniform market in schools and start a serious business.

Mabote thanked the Skill share and Global Fund for assisting support groups and LENEPWHA.  He appealed to members to avoid any conflict that will separate them and hinder their good work but to stick to the unity to combat HIV and support the affected and infected.

Thabo*, 19 year-old boy, grew up in a child-headed-household in Phomolong since 2006 when their mother died and their father left them since 1999.

“The care givers of Phomolong support group helped our family during the sickness of our late mother and they stand with us up to now. We never slept hungry and we have clothes to keep us warm. Our family is grateful for the care and support we received from Mathuso,”  explained Thabo.