It has become clear that Princess Diana's sons genuinely want to follow in her footsteps. And Prince Harry is doing so in a major way.
During a 2004 visit to the nation of Lesotho (a relatively small country of 2 million that is completely surrounded by South Africa,) Prince Harry was moved by what he saw there. Lesotho, like many African nations, is struggling with an HIV/AIDS crisis. And like many other nations, Lesotho has few resources for education, prevention, and treatment. Therefore, Lesotho has hundreds of thousands of children who are ill, homeless, and even parent-less. Many are HIV-positive, many are deaf or blind, and many are uneducated.
After that visit, Prince Harry began working with Lesotho's Prince Seeiso, and in 2006, their foundation "Sentebale" was registered as a UK charity. Sentebale means "forget-me-not" in Sesotho (the language of Lesotho.) Over the past seven years, the two princes have raised funds for their foundation, set out on a five-year "strategic plan" for their children, and take an active role in the foundation's work.
HIV, AIDS, poverty and education were important causes for Princess Di, which surprised many back then, as HIV and AIDS were not well-understood nor well-supported. She fought for children, and she fought for a better understanding of HIV and AIDS. Now, two decades later, Diana's younger son has his own foundation in an African nation fighting for the same causes.
Sentebale works toward several goals. Its funds go toward providing basic education and life skills to the children of Lesotho, as well as psycho-social support for children living with HIV/AIDS. Help is also given to deaf children and blind children. Language and skills courses, social camps and a variety of clinics and events are offered for the children.
Harry keeps close tabs on what's happening in Lesotho, particularly with his charity. He visits the country and foundation headquarters often, even bringing his famous brother William along in 2010. Prince Harry is expected to visit to Lesotho later this week to check up on the children, the foundation and the work.
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