Who We Are
Who We Are
Who we are
Sepheo works with children living and begging on the streets in Maseru, Lesotho’s capital. Our vision is Excellence out of Poverty; that Lesotho’s Poorest will Become Lesotho’s Best. We know it’s audacious, but we believe it’s possible. Sepheo is the local word for purpose. We want to see every child off the streets and living out their purpose. We do not treat the surface issues of poverty alone, but identify what has driven the child to the street and focus our effort there. With support, children - and families, where they exist - choose and implement their own solutions.
Josh and Belinda Groves founded Sepheo in response to the needs of children on the streets they had come to know over a period of 18 months. Having developed relationships with about 120 kids and a number of their relatives, Josh and Belinda decided to commit themselves full time, launching Sepheo.
Sepheo is a registered Charitable Trust in Lesotho and has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lesotho Ministry of Social Development.
Sepheo is also a proud partner project of ACCI Relief, the Aid and Development arm of the Australian Christian Churches movement. ACCI Relief is an ACFID member, and complies with the ACFID Code of Conduct, which defines minimum standards of governance, management and accountability for non-governmental development organisations. Through the ACCIR World Relief Fund and the Kinnected program, Sepheo is an approved Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) under the Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Scheme (OAGDS) classification in Australia.
Our complaints handling policy can be found here. To make a complaint, please email complaints@sepheo.org
Website Terms & Conditions
This website provides you with information about Sepheo, ways to connect with us and to support our work. This website is operated by Sepheo and all content remains subject to copyright. By using this website, you agree to the terms and all relevant policies.
Privacy
A copy of our privacy policy is here.
Governing Laws
Sepheo is a registered charity in the Kingdom of Lesotho (country of domicile) and is subject to the laws of the Lesotho.
Contact Us
For further information, contact us
Email: contact@sepheo.org
Address: Sparletta, Majoe a Litsoene, Motimposo, Maseru, Lesotho.
Our Leaders
our leaders
Mabatho Makatla
Malechesa Matete
Josh and Belinda Groves
Our Leaders
our leaders
Mabatho Makatla
Malechesa Matete
Josh and Belinda Groves
Malechesa Matete
Mabatho Makatla
Malechesa is a social worker who oversees Sepheo School and is responsible for the emotional care and development of children in our programs and the supporting their families. Malechesa is senior member of the Lesotho Social Work Association, a coordinating member of Global Shapers Lesotho. She also sits on the global advisory committee to SFAC.
Mabatho is a founding member of Sepheo and oversees Sepheo’s street intervention and our community programs. She is passionate about helping broken families and communities to thrive. Before joining Sepheo she was involved in counselling vulnerable youth in Maseru. Mabatho was selected in the inaugural cohort of the Obama Leaders: Africa in 2018.
Josh Groves
Josh is one of Sepheo’s founding directors. Josh loves growing leaders, whether that is the amazing staff or students in Sepheo School. His background as a project manager, management consultant and army officer have informed Sepheo’s unique approach to helping people find their purpose.
Belinda Groves
Belinda's passion is that people find and live their purpose, no matter the cost. Belinda moved to Lesotho in 2012 to manage electoral observation teams during Lesotho’s national elections. Prior to this she served as Deputy Chief of Staff to a senior minister in the New South Wales Government.
Our Approach
our approach
Our Approach
our approach
Our Convictions
Children live and work on the streets in Lesotho for complex reasons. For some, the street is their home full-time; others come to the streets during the day to make a living for themselves and their family. Every child has a different story. The solution for every child is different. Several convictions guide our approach to helping Lesotho's most vulnerable children:
Children belong in families.
The healthiest place for any child is in a family that loves them and takes care of their basic material needs. We favor trying to reintegrate children into families, rather than an institutional solution.
Success that lasts is self-driven.
Equipping a person with skills, mindsets and capabilities produces success over a lifetime. All our strategies are aimed at building people, not just responding to circumstance.
Everything we do must empower.
Too often, poverty causes people to feel incapable of influencing their circumstances. Handing people solutions only reinforces a sense of external dependence and personal helplessness. In everything we do, we support individuals and families to choose and achieve solutions for themselves.
Character Development
Our vision is that Lesotho’s poorest will become Lesotho’s best. Whether that’s the best plumber or politician, we believe in the potential of each child to be excellent and achieve their purpose.
'Poverty is not an identity. Every child has a purpose.'
Sepheo equips a child to succeed by building the internal qualities of success. Character development is central to the Sepheo model. As children develop strong personal qualities, they are better able to take and maximize opportunities provided by other programs. Right foundations sustain a child throughout their lifetime.