Prince Harry said he was “in shock” after resigning as a Sentebale boss, an African charity that he co -founded almost 20 years ago to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana.
The Duke of Sussex said that the reason for his resignation was due to a conflict between the members of the board of directors and Sophie Chandauka, the chairman of the board of directors who refused to resign and continue the charity in order to keep his post, According to Times.
Sophie Chandauka, president of Sentebale, (center); Nacho Figueras, the Sentebale Ambassador (left), and Prince Harry, co -founding Sentebale pattern, pose for a photo during the Sentebale Isps Handa Handa Handa 2023 in Singapore.
Matt Jelonk / Getty Images for Sentebale
Prince Harry co -founded Sentebale in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana, with Prince Seeiso du Lesotho in 2006 after spending time working in an orphanage at Lesotho during a sabbatical year.
Prince Seeiso and the Board of Directors also joined Harry to leave Sentebale after the breakdown of the relationship between the members of the board of directors and Chandauka.
In a joint declaration, the princes said: “What happened is unthinkable. We are in shock that we must do, but we have a continuous responsibility for the beneficiaries of Sentebale, so we will share all our concerns with the Charitable Commission on the way it happened. ”
“Nearly 20 years ago, we founded Sentebale in honor of our mothers. Sentebale means “forget me-not” in SSOTHO, the local language of Lesotho, and this is what we have always promised for young people that we served by this charity. Today is no different. “
“With Heavy Hearts, we have resigned from our roles of patrons of the organization until further notice, in favor and solidarity with the board of directors which had to do the same,” they continued. “It is devastating that the relationship between the trustee of the charitable organization and the chairman of the board of directors was broken down, creating an untenable situation.”
“These trustees have acted in the best interest of the charity to ask the chair to resign while keeping the well-being of staff in mind. In turn, she continued the charitable organization to remain in this voluntary position, further stressing the broken relationship,” continued the declaration of princes.
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Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso thanked the administrators for their “service over the years” and said they were “really the broken heart that they had to follow this act”.
“Although we are no longer customers, we will always be its founders and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in good care,” they concluded.
Chandauka said she had reported the administrators of Sentebale At the charity commission, a government department of the United Kingdom which regulates philanthropic organizations and had filed documents before a British court to prevent its withdrawal.
In a press release, she made allegations of misconduct to the charitable organization without naming anyone.
“There are people in this world who behave as if they were above the law and mistreat people, then play the victim’s card and use the press even that they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct,” said Chandauka.
It is, she said, “the story of a woman who dared to denounce the questions of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, intimidation, harassment, misogyny and misogymoir-and the concealment that followed.”
Bbc indicated that the charity committee said he was “aware of the concerns about governance” of Sentebale, which is registered in the United Kingdom
“We assess the problems to determine the appropriate regulatory steps,” they added.
After Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso announced their resignation, Sentebale shared a declaration on social networks To let their subscribers know that “work continues because they deserve nothing less”.
“These are the incredible teams on the ground – our staff and our local partners – who give life to our mission every day, walking alongside the children and young people that we serve,” the declaration started.
“While trustees are essential for governance and regulations, and customers – in particular the founders – are an honor to have, it is people on the ground that advances work, whatever happens,” continued the press release. “Our commitment to supporting young people in southern Africa with better health, stronger livelihoods and climate resilience remains as strong as ever.”
Prince Harry visited Sentebale for the last time at Lesotho in October 2024, when he spent time speaking with young people and other people related to the charity around a campfire.
“You may not always realize how important your influence is, but if it even changes the life of a person, it is worth it,” he told them during the event.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is expressed during a welcome event at the Mamohato Children Center in Sentebale, featuring the Let Youth Advocates for non -profit in Botswana and a celebration of Basatho culture on October 1, 2024, in Maseru, Lesotho.
Brian Otieno / Getty Images for Sentebale
The Duke of Sussex fell publicly from the royal family in January 2020 and delivered a speech to respond to the decision at a charity dinner for Sentebale.
“Thank you for being here for Sentebale, a charity that I and Prince Seeiso created in 2006 to honor my mother’s inheritance to support those who were carried out by HIV and AIDS,” he started.
He said that he had visited Lesotho for the first time in 2004 and that he had been “shown by my dear friend Prince Seeiso”.
“Founded by the difficulties and challenges that so many children have been faced and with the support of local partners, we created Sentebale two years later,” said Prince Harry.
“From the start, we have developed a series of programs and created Mamahato Center specially designed to help a generation of children to unravel the stigma that allows HIV epidemic to prosper. Half of these children had lost one or both of their parents in the virus. ”
He added that the clubs, camps and programs of Lesotho and Botswana “help children and young adults to learn that they can continue to live a happy and productive life, although they are HIV positive”.
– With files from the Associated Press
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