Tebo (16 years old) and Kaelo (14 years old), boys from our after school program, recently took part in the Global Dance Supreme Southern Africa (South Africa) competition in September.
This is after competing first locally in Mochudi with the TNT Entertainers group and then proceeding to compete at Maitisong Theatre in the national competition, securing a spot to represent Botswana in South Africa!
To fund their trip, a fundraising activity; Diversity Day was hosted at the Mochudi centre with all proceeds going to them. We also received funds and donations from the public including Sedibelo JSS and staff members of Stepping Stones International.
The two talented boys emerged victorious and earned a second place position in the Afro Styles Section of the competition. Needless to say this was their first time out of the country, travelling on a coach line bus, and they had a trip to remember!
Training for media houses in partnership with the #IShallNotForget movement, boosted the understanding and journalism skills regarding issues of child protection.
The objectives of the training and discussions revolved around children’s rights and the imbalanced protection of children’s rights in Botswana. Secondly lively discussion was held regarding the media’s role as a driver of social justice and how the media must be responsible when reporting on children’s issues.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the media houses that were present and the EU who funds the ‘Raising Voices Project’.
US non-profit organisation, CEOs Of Tomorrow sent 8 students from the United States to meet and work with 8 of our participants in August. In a two-day workshop the 16 participants learnt how to facilitate global relationships, starting a social enterprise and how to successfully market and sell products.
“During this 2 day program I enhanced my communication skills and learnt how to develop and create sustainable business ideas,” said Patience, one of the participants.
At the end of the program the 16 participants designed and printed t shirts that communicated vital messages about the education system in Botswana, before selling them to the public at Main Mall, Gaborone.
We look forward to making this excursion an annual activity and building a long lasting relationship with CEOs of Tomorrow!
Live action of their visit can be seen in the video below.
One of our core values, cultural diversity was celebrated this month.
On August 3rd we held our very first annual Cultural Diversity Day to celebrate the 15 different cultures present in our organisation through food, dance and art. Activities of the day included a food stall featuring food from over 6 different countries, cultural dance performances, drama and poetry.
Present on the day were delegates from the Botswana German Embassy; Melissa Es-Sayed, Susanna Knecht and the German ambassador Mr Ralf Breth.
All financial proceeds from the day went to supporting our two participants; Tebo and Kaelo who are due to compete in the Global Dance Supreme Southern Africa contest in September 2019.
The Grannies Tea Project was started with the aim of providing psychological support through an open forum for grandmothers to share their experiences and challenges in their communities and families.
They tackle issues such as teenage pregnancy, adolescent sexual behaviour, and inter-generational communication barriers to raising adolescents. To date, there are 64 Grannies in groups of four wards in Mochudi and two wards in Oodi.
In Botswana customs, elders are usually known for resolving conflicts in the family whatever issues that arise. This is the reason why in 2018 we believed it imperative to train the Grannies in the SASA methodology for Gender-Based Violence.
Fifty-seven Grannies were trained in SASA methodology for Gender-Based Violence while six of them were trained as trainers. During their training, they carried out a Community Asset Mapping exercise where they identified structures/assets that can be used in their communities to prevent Gender-Based Violence. They identified danger spots/hotspots in their communities and came up with recommendations in regard to combating GBV and ensuring child protection. The caregivers were also taught on forms of violence surrounding child protection and were capacitated as daily activists to always act when they come across GBV in their communities.
SASA methodology which means ‘now’ in Swahili also stands for Start, Awareness, Support, and Action. It is a behaviour change methodology that originates from Uganda and addresses the power imbalance between women and men, boys and girls. It also inspires and enables communities to rethink and reshape social norms.
