Paul Moleseng (Ker & Downey Botswana Senior Specialist Guide) and Derek Flatt (COO of Chobe Holdings) present the cheque to Sarah Cahilane (Bana Ba Letsatsi Acting Co-ordinator).

Bana Ba Letsatsi (Sunshine Children) was established in 2004 to support Northern Botswana’s orphaned, at-risk and vulnerable children. The charity’s Maun-based centre supports more than 230 underprivileged children by providing them with food, clothing, education, counselling, sports, and arts and music activities.

Fiona Hatton, Executive Coordinator of Bana Ba Letsatsi, says “The support of Ker & Downey Botswana over the last year has been tremendous, and they are by far our biggest local donors. Ker & Downey Botswana not only provides us with financial contributions every month, but also understands and has a passion for improving the lives of these children.”

The children at Bana Ba Letsatsi are aged from 1-18 years, and without the centre would be living on the streets, lacking adequate food and care. Ker & Downey Botswana’s monthly donations are based on a percentage of safari sales, and enable Bana Ba Letsatsi to buy essential everyday items such as food, clothing and classroom materials. Bana Ba Letsatsi also sets aside a proportion of the donations each month to cover any unexpected medical emergencies with the children.

Ker & Downey Botswana’s Nicky Brandon and Paul Moleseng (a specialist guide who recently ran the New York Marathon to raise funds for Bana Ba Letsatsi) visit the Bana Ba Letsatsi centre regularly to see how the money is directly helping the children.

Ker & Downey Botswana is pleased to announce that it will continue to support Bana Ba Letsatsi throughout the 2011.

Based at Shinde’s Footsteps Camp, the children, in groups of six, were put through their paces amongst the diverse animals of the concession. Fantastic sightings of lion and wild dogs combined with hands on practical camp skills such as learning how to make a fire and fire arm safety to make this an unforgettable experience. The ‘fun’ element was ever present with spotting competitions and sundowner football. At the end of camp all received caps, T-shirts and certificates to prove that they are true ‘Young Explorers’.

Bana Ba Letsatsi (which means ‘children of the sun’) cares for over 240 vulnerable and orphaned children in Maun. Their mission is to keep children at risk in Maun off the streets and away from negative influences by empowering them through education and support. The children are at risk because they suffer either a lack of parental care; have never been to or have dropped out of school, suffer abuse at home or in the neighbourhood or they abuse drugs and/or alcohol.