Mokhotlong, Jan. 20 — A males forum commonly known as ‘Banna Khotla’ in collaboration with Touching Tiny Lives (TTL) held a public gathering at Tsoenene in the district on Tuesday.
Addressing the public, a member of the forum, Chief Tseiso Phakisi of Bafali said the purpose was to further discuss issues related to the role men should be playing in families and community at large as providers and protectors.
He said it was also to encourage men to always gather at the chief’s place for introspection and share experience as well as to help each other on how best they can address challenges they face for a peaceful living with everyone.
Chief Phakisi said men have turned into abusers instead of being what God created them for hence the establishment of the forum.
Furthermore an employee of Touching Tiny Lives (TTL) who is also a member of Banna Khotla, Mr. Keketso Rasethunts’a who talked mostly about child protection urged men to support women in order for children to grow in healthy and peaceful families.
Men who attended the gathering embraced the forum and wanted to be part of the promotion of peace in their families and community at large.
Today’s public gathering was one of many that TTL and Banna Khotla will hold at different villages in the district to strengthen male engagement in child protection and to remind them of their Godly role as providers and protectors, not abusers.
Banna Khotla was formed last year to create a platform for men from different walks of life to share problems they face in their day to day living for promotion of positive and healthy living.
Their slogan is ‘One Man, One Heart’.
TTL was established in May 2004 by Mr. Kenneth Storen who was a Peace Corp volunteer deployed in Mokhotlong at that time and began the foundation with two children after they were identified not to be in good health conditions from villages in the outskirts of Mokhotlong town.
Since establishment, the foundation has been dedicated to helping orphaned and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS and malnutrition by providing a safe home as well as implementing an outreach programme to monitor children in communities after receiving the necessary support under the safe home programme.
It has also helped over 3600 children through its two programmes being Safe Home and Outreach.
At the same event, the Census District Committee sensitised the public about the upcoming Population and Housing Census to be conducted for two weeks starting from April 12 this year.
EndsLU/tl
