he centre, which started as a counselling centre, began operating in May. It provides day care services to orphans and other children and was given a boost when the shop donated P5000 to the centre.
“It is our mission to recognise involvement in the community as a viable business objective. Ellerines has in the past shown its support to charities and the community as a whole by making donations or organising other activities that benefit the community,” Cecilia-Wellio Montwedi of Ellerines said.
She said that they came to the centre to answer the call to help the needy financially or in any other form and added that as part of the community they are not donating for the first time.
The company, has in the past been involved in tree planting campaigns in schools and clinics, clean up campaigns and helping in the health care sector.
“This year the company’s community involvement is in orphanages like this one,” Montwedi said.
Before she handed over the cheque Montwedi appealed to the public to answer the call of organisations like the centre.
“I urge the community as a whole and companies in Botswana to stand up and help in the community. These children did not choose to be here but it just happened and can happen to anybody,” she added.
Ellerines, which has a total of 25 stores country-wide, has been operating in the country for the past 29 years. The 25 stores include 8 Furncity stores and 17 Ellerines stores.
The company, which used to have its stores in smaller villages like Moshupa, has been forced to close some of its branches to save costs.
The coordinator of the centre One Pene said she hailed the support of the furniture shop, as it will help her school.
She revealed that some of the children, who school at the centre are orphans and do not have toys to play with, but only play with tyres around the school.
The school has also received support from the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and MASA, which is the National Anti-retroviral Therapy Programme.
“I plead with every Motswana to help these children. We should not depend only on government to take care of them but we should also work towards Vision 2016, that says we are a loving and caring nation,” Montwedi said.
