HLOKOMELA BANANA INITIATIVE
The main purpose of this project is to help provide sanitary pads to teenage girls. The study shows that most underprivileged girls miss school for at least four days each month over menstruation. These issues are not talked about in Africa due to embarrassment, lack of understanding and the low priority of such problems. So we got on board this initiative to help girls. The ultimate goal of this project is ensure all girls are given an equal and fair chance at the best education they can receive without being stigmatized.
In many schools, both male and female teachers are not ready to discuss menstruation and menstrual hygiene management with students. Teachers often skip such topics as they do not want any open discussion in the class or to escape from the questions asked by students. Teachers also feel shy and embarrassed to discuss such topics in class due to language barrier as some sound more explicit in Sesotho than English.
We want to overcome these issues, male teachers and employees in the schools and institutes should be well educated and confident regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene management so that they support girls / women by providing safe environment and privacy.
EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
In a country where HIV/AIDS and other health challenges have resulted in a high number of orphans, changing societal practices and urbanisation have increased the level of child vulnerability with many of the orphans having to fend for themselves and their siblings. Some end up unable to take advantage of the free primary education offered by the country.
From 2009, MGC has been sponsoring learners in primary and high schools. Annually buying uniforms, books, stationery and paying school fees for over 60 learners per year, including the disabled. We believe we have and will continue contributing to the future of this country. This project includes children from various districts. The full sponsorship includes exam fees, school uniforms, exam fees and other necessities and we are committed to seeing them through their primary and secondary education. Since the inception of this project, we have seen lives changing, we have seen children in poor communities get a decent start in life.
Our educational scholarship program does not just focus on providing educational necessitates, we also address external factors that might affect our students from participating well from their studies. We have introduced student counselling and below is what we want to achieve.
- Students to be given proper guidance on how to deal with psychological problems which can badly impact their studies. Through these sessions, the students will be able to develop certain problem-solving skills which to an extent help them deal with particular issues surrounding their lives.
- The students will be advised on how to cope with different situations they tend to face in their school life. For instance, how should they talk politely or relate with their peers. This will give them perspective on how they should behave in certain scenarios.
- It will help shape a student's behaviour and also instil enough discipline in them. Proper guidance helps students achieve their goals, well guided & counselled students know what to do and how to do things in the best possible way.
- Students will learn how to live in peace and harmony with others in the school community. Thereby, also learn to appreciate other people in their class.
- We also believe the counselling sessions will allow students to talk to teachers about various experiences that make them uncomfortable. Openly share problems that they cannot share with their parents.
- It will help students undergoing certain difficulties in their lives, to ask questions and clarify them through guiding and counselling. Therefore, counselling helps them ask without any fear since the person in charge is willing to help.
MANTSONYANE PROJECT
In 2013 MGC CSI commenced the construction of The MGC Mantsonyane Project. The Mantsonyane project is the construction and revamp of the Church, Primary and Secondary school in the village which the MGC founder was raised. The end of this project will be awarding us with a Priest house, an administrative office, a convent and a boarding house with fully equipped sporting facility. The vision behind this project was brought about by the need for education and proper schooling facilities. It was also inspired by the MGC founder’s passion for contributing to the lives of children around the country, particularly those from the district in which he was born and bred.
This project kicked off with the construction of a Catholic Church for the Mantsonyane community and the surrounding villages in 2005. When this project started, we had no idea that it will grow into such an investment. In 2013 the vision was revisited by the founder and he planned to develop the structure into a fully-fledged facility.
This is the biggest CSI project for MGC thus far and the intention is to create a young generation from the same village as Mr Matekane, which has hopes to achieve greater than what their environment advocates. This project is one of a kind in the country and a greater achievement for the district.
Various deliverables of the project are complete and we have the Church, the Priest house, Convent, sports stadium and teacher’s houses. After reviewing the facility and the capacity of the school, the new plan is to now convert the school in to an independent college. This college will answer to TVET (technical and vocational education training) and agricultural needs with many aspects that will be introduced as the plan unfolds.
The engagement of exceptional and specialized skills teachers will be head hunted for the purpose of transforming the current level of competency at the school. This project is in its journey to become one of the best in the country with diverse facilities that will equip leaners and teachers with the best life skills.