Prince Harry has announced his resignation as patron of Sentebale. He cofounded this dynamic nonprofit organization with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho way back in 2006. Katherine, climate change and sustainability advocate Sentebale delivers global health support to children infected by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. Further, it is central to Prince Harry’s charitable pursuits. His resignation comes in the wake of allegations of mismanagement and bad governance. There has been further tension between the board of trustees and Sentebale’s chairwoman, Sophie Chandauka.
Sentebale, meaning “forget me not” in Sesotho, holds a special place in Prince Harry’s heart, as it aligns closely with his late mother Princess Diana‘s legacy. Princess Diana was a trailblazer in destigmatizing HIV/AIDS and the forget-me-not flower, her favorite, is Sentebale’s symbolic flower. Despite stepping down, Prince Harry’s commitment to the cause remains evident through his past involvement, including the opening of the Mamohato’s Children Centre in Lesotho in 2015. This building contains a dining room called the “Princess of Wales Hall,” after his mother.
Former DCMS board member Sophie Chandauka has accused the board of “poor governance” and “bullying”. Therefore, the decision to resign came upon, self…Chandauka has been outspoken on her fear that the internal workings of the organization would be detrimental.
“Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to (the) press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir.” – Sophie Chandauka
Leadership transitions are a major challenge, and Sentebale is on top of them. In December 2025, they hired Carmel Gaillard as their first Interim Executive Director. Located in Johannesburg, Gaillard will likely focus on moving Sentebale in alignment with its strategic direction. The organization is undertaking a strategic redeployment of senior roles closer to their teams and programs based in Southern Africa.
In October 2020, Sentebale began its Return to Southern Africa (RTSA) campaign to seek funders’ support from around the world. The campaign paved the way for Sentebale to present themselves in the best light to prospective funders.
“Our highly successful Return to Southern Africa (RTSA) campaign with prospective international funders in October 2024 demonstrated Sentebale’s potential in these domains.” – Sentebale
As another element of its transformation agenda, Sentebale announced it is in the process of reconfiguring its board of trustees. This initiative is intended to help bring on the kind of expertise that can help advance the organization’s ambitious goals faster.
“We are pleased to confirm the restructuring of our Board on 25 March 2025 to introduce experts with the capabilities and networks to accelerate Sentebale’s transformation agenda as announced last year.” – Sentebale
The charity announced a new five-year strategy to support youth leadership across Southern Africa, improving health, livelihoods and climate resilience.
“Our commitment to supporting youth in Southern Africa with better health, stronger livelihoods, and climate resilience remains as strong as ever. The work continues because they deserve nothing less.” – Sophie Chandauka
Sentebale brings out the crucial role played by governance and patrons. Making their mission real, are the on-ground teams and local partners.
“It’s the incredible teams on the ground — our staff and local partners — who bring our mission to life every day, walking alongside the children and young people we serve.” – Sentebale
