Established Partnerships

The Trust Fund recognises the role of the following key stakeholders in executing duties that alleviate the plight of orphans.

• Botswana Government as the custodian of children creates an enabling environment to ensure that quality and service providers adhere to safety standards.  Provision is also made for financial and technical support.
  
  
• OVC and caregivers as the direct beneficiaries in this programme participate and collaborate in the initiatives towards self sustenance.
  
  
• Leaders and Members of the community initiates and own such established programmes.
  
  
• Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) also drive community initiatives in caring for the children.
  
  
• Business Community - The Trust currently enjoys overwhelming support from a range of business community in Botswana. Cresta Marakanelo Hotels group has been playing a leading role by contributing to the Trust since launching.
  
  Cresta Marakanelo‘s Commitment
  Statistics from the Ministry of Local Government indicate that there are about 55 000 registered orphans with the Department of Social Services, with obvious signs that there are some who are not accounted for in this number. This figure clearly indicates that government on its own cannot cope with the escalating number; hence the need for partnerships to be formulated at all levels.
  
  In response to His Excellency, the President of Botswan, Mr. F. G. Mogae’s declaration of war on HIV/AIDS, Cresta Marakanelo saw it fit to play an active role in this endeavor and is proud to have become the first respondents to the president’s call by associating with Masiela Trust Fund during its establishment.  They are the first establishment to pledge financial support of that magnitude to the Trust. Since launching, Cresta Marakanelo has pledged nearly half a million Pula, 12 computers and one housing unit in Francistown for the benefit of the OVC family.
  
  Cresta Marakanelo in all its 8 hotels deducts P1.00 out of every occupied room per night and donates a lump sum every quarter to the Trust Fund.
  
  The Hotel group is not only involved with the Trust Fund because they see the need to help orphans in the short term, but given the complexity of the problem and its potentially negative impact on the societal makeup, it is their involvement in the regrowth of our nation post this HIV/AIDS era.
  
  By assisting the Trust Fund in this regard, they believe they are an accountable, premier organisation with the right mechanisms in place to drive this vision forward.  The overseeing role mandated to the Trust by government to this assignment, has assured Cresta Marakanelo that there will be equitable and fair distribution of resources to the intended beneficiaries.
  
  The Trust disburses these resources to Non Governmental Organisations directly involved in the care of orphans and vulnerable children.  It is therefore, incumbent upon these NGO’s and CBOs to see to the upliftment and welfare of these children.
  
  The assistance at this level translates to material support in the form of food and clothing, social support in the form of counseling, psychosocial support and capacity building. Not forgetting the important provision of shelter.
  
  
• Developmental Partners provide technical support; policy review and programme development. One such partner is WK. Kellogg Foundation through the Human Science Research Council in the 5-year programme.
  
  W.K. Kellogg foundations /HSRC Masiela rust Fund OVC Project
  As part of their 75th anniversary, W. K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), has granted funds to the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) of South Africa to implement research driven, evidence-based, intervention programmes to assist orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), families and communities affected by HIV/AIDS in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe over five years. In late 2004, the grant was extended to also include Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland in the project. This programme will contribute towards the development of a strategy for the care of OVC in those countries. The strategy will be informed by research that supports innovative and sustainable models that target OVC as well as families and households coping with an increased burden of care for children affected by HIV/AIDS.  

          The goals of the Project are to:

• Improve the social conditions, health, development and quality of life of vulnerable children and orphans.
• Support families and households coping with an increased burden of care for affected and vulnerable children
• Strengthen community-based support systems as an indirect means to support vulnerable children.
• Build capacity in community-based systems for sustaining care and support to vulnerable children and households, over the long term.
• To gain a deeper understanding of the OVC programmes being implemented in Southern Africa, through the exchange of ideas;
  
  
• Media; creates awareness and plays an advocacy role on the right and welfare of children.  Masiela Trust Fund has enjoyed the enormous support from the local media. I.e. dissemination of the activities of the Trust and other issues relating to children.