Prince Harry speaking in Maseru, Lesotho. Picture: Supplied
On a week when Lesotho celebrates its 200th year of independence, Prince Harry addressed an audience in Maseru speaking about the youth’s power.
“What I’ve learned in more than two decades is that the younger generation have solutions and if we continue to grow platforms and share their stories while also breaking stigmas, real change happens,” said The Duke of Sussex.
He was speaking on behalf of the non-profit organisation (NPO) Sentebale which he founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
Sentebale’s work revolves around the enhancement of health, wealth generation and climate resilience for young people in Southern Africa.
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To reflect on the work of Sentebale in Botswana, there was a discussion where young people spoke about their respective journeys in the advocacy programme, The Let Youth Lead.
As a part of the programme, Radio Positive was created on Botswana radio station Duma FM on which is a talk show focusing on issues affecting young people.
“With Radio Positive, we get to talk about young people and what we go through daily. We talk to 100,000 young people weekly,” averred Let Youth Lead Advocate Bakang Garebatho.
“You guys sharing on the radio, you may never know how big your impact is, but if it changes the life of even one person, it’s worth it,” said the British royal encouraging the young people.
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After a flying visit to the UK for the WellChild Awards, Harry met with Prince Seeiso at a bonfire to reflect on the Sentebale’s progress and the work that still needs to be done.
When Sentebale was founded in 2006, HIV/AIDS was deeply impacting children and young people in Southern Africa as they disproportionately shouldered the burden.
“We’re hitting the targets, not just Sentebale but all of the departments are, and it’s making a massive difference, and it is this surge of energy and optimism and the voice of young people ranging from six to 25,” said Harry.
With the outlook for a full life now a reality, Sentebale has evolved to work with the next generation on solutions to broader problems impacting them, like health, wealth inequity, and climate.
The NPO welcomed innovative funders and business leaders to Maseru, and the non-profit’s Mamohato Children’s Centre, where storytelling under the stars took place as a kick-off to a visit to the ‘Kingdom in the Sky’ to witness Sentebale programming in action.
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The evening took place during the week Lesotho is celebrating its 200th year of independence, marking two centuries since its founding as a sovereign nation under King Moshoeshoe I.
Lesotho became a sovereign state from Britain on 4 October 1966.
Last month, the University of the Free State (UFS) Library and Information Services (LIS) announced a project in celebration of the Basotho Bicentennial.
This initiative marks 200 years of the rich history and culture of the Basotho people, focusing on the promotion, preservation, and publication of high-quality original African language monographs and research.
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