Father Patrick M. Maekane, a retired Anglican Priest, had the idea in 1977 to create a children’s home in Southern Lesotho. The Principal Chief of Taung gave land for that purpose and the Home was later named for her: “Mants’ase Children’s Home” or “Mophato oa Mants’ase” in Sesotho. Mophato is the Sesotho word for a village where people come together for a special purpose.
Funds for the first buildings came from the American Embassy Self-Help Fund and they were built by Father Maekane. Iliff Simey (and International Voluntary Services Volunteer; IVS is a part of the British aid program), and 25 local women who were paid in clothing donated by Catholic Relief Services. The buildings were completed in late 1979 and the first child, a 10-year-old girl from a nearby village, was admitted in February 1980.
The need for a place like Mants’ase Children’s Home arose when families could no longer take in orphaned or abandoned relatives. Traditionally in Basotho culture the extended family cares for any relatives in need of assistance. Unfortunately, poverty caused this system to begin to break down and some children (and babies) were left with no one to care for him or her. With the HIV/AIDS pandemic now sweeping Lesotho, this is truer than ever before. Wage earners are dying at an alarming rate, leaving behind children to families that are already overburdened.
The goal of the Home is not to be an institution, but to provide a family atmosphere for the children and keep them as much a part of their Basotho community as possible. This will enable them to be merged back into family life much more easily when the occasion arises. Children four to five years old attend a local pre-school and all children over six attend the local Primary or Secondary schools.
The founder of Mants'ase Children's Home, Father Patrick M. Maekane, died peacefully on April 18, 1985. Since then, others from throughout Lesotho and abroad have tried to carry on his dream of providing a loving home for the destitute children of Lesotho.
Since its inception, the management structure of Mants’ase has changed multiple times. Unfortunately, the home fell upon hard times in the late 1990s and no outside funding was being received. Some local business people from Mohale’s Hoek were approached and asked to help and from that plea the current Board of Directors was born. It is made up of a group of concerned citizens of Mohale’s Hoek who donate their time to make sure the needs of the children are being met. The Board is also responsible for getting the word out about Mants’ase Children’s Home to potential donors. Currently there is no large sponsor and thus the Home is very dependent upon donations from private citizens, organizations, or businesses. All donations are gladly accepted, whether they are in the form of money, food, clothing, shoes, books, toys, or supplies.
The number of children at the Home changes regularly and is expected to increase in the near future as the number of children orphaned because of HIV/AIDS escalates in Lesotho. As there are few children’s homes in Lesotho, it is important for us to be able to grow with the need. We continue to do our best to provide a safe, healthy, and loving environment for these innocent victims.
