The covid-19 pandemic has had more than just health implications, but economic ones as well worldwide. In Botswana the president declared a 28 days national lockdown (starting 2nd April) where many businesses were closed down and many livelihoods affected. A covid-19 relief fund has been set up by the government and the response has been tremendous. We as Stepping Stones International have also been doing our part, identifying families in need and facilitating donations to help them stay afloat.
In Ghanzi we responded to the call for help made by the District Council that families are hungry and they have not received enough food for the size of the families.
SSI contacted the Angels at Work, a group of generous do-gooders who want to help communities. They started as people wanting to build a second room for a family of 10 in a one bedroom house. The Angels donated a massive 120 food hampers to be distributed to families in a remote area of Botswana, CKGR. Each hamper included starch and vegetables.
We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the Angels At Work for their amazing contributions and hope the spirit of the Angels spreads throughout the world! Because of them there are 120 less families going to sleep hungry. If you would like to help too, you can donate here.
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.
After not doing too well in her BGCSE examinations, Rachel found herself slowly becoming part of the furniture at home. She was home for a little over a year with nothing to do and absolutely no prospects until she heard about the Finding the Leader Within program from one of our employees.
She joined the program in February 2018 and has not looked back since.
The 6-month leadership program funded by the FACET Foundation targets unemployed and out of school youth aged between 18 and 25 years old. During the program, Rachel developed her interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, CV writing skills, public speaking and ICT skills. As part of the program, she also learned how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, as well as financial literacy.
Towards the end of the program, she participated in the job shadowing exercise, which is required for graduation. During her job shadowing, she worked at the Mochudi Library. At the Mochudi Library, she learned phone etiquette and how to work with children.
This experience is why when an opportunity to study for a certificate in Early Childhood emerged, she grabbed it with both hands. Rachel pursued the course for 6 months in which she passed with a Merit and is now due to start a new job as teacher at a Day Care Centre in Gaborone!
In July of 2018, two of our participants under the English Access Micro scholarship program secured themselves a spot in the Girls Fly Programme Africa, made possible by Women in Aviation Botswana.
Boipelo and Michelle had to submit an essay on aviation related topics, as well as possess clean and appealing academic records to be considered for the programme. They were then selected alongside 19 other local girls to participate in the week long program at Paramount Leadership & Adventure Camp in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The GFPA Foundation aims to empower the next generation of aviation and space leaders in Africa by shaping and developing future leaders in the STEM sphere. During the camp the girls were exposed to different aspects of the aviation industry with the goal to broaden the girls’ minds on careers they could pursue.
The camp was filled with networking and advancement opportunities which saw one of our participants gain a South African female pilot as a mentor.
Communities have a tremendous influence on the wellbeing of our children.
Our ‘Ke Boikarabelo Jwa Rona’ (Setswana for “It’s our Responsibility”) project sought to improve the response to and prevention of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) cases through improved service quality and reporting and enhanced community ownership of the Botswana Children’s Act.
SSI conducted research on the preparedness of service providers to handle child sexual abuse and exploitation cases.
As a result, 10 key recommendations, based on modelling, were developed to improve the response to child sexual abuse and prevent this heinous crime in the future. We circulated a petition in Botswana and internationally for people to support change, garnering 21,400 signatures of solidarity.
SSI worked with service providers (police, social workers, health care providers, magistrates and educators) using a scorecard that enabled them to assess their preparedness for handling child sexual abuse cases and develop work plans to improve service delivery.
“Finding the Leader Within (FTLW)” programme participants in our class of 2015 are now open to world of possibilities as they can proudly say they have taken a big step towards unlocking their full potential. Pilane Lodge in Rasesa was the stage for Stepping Stones International’s (SSI) 2015 FTLW graduation ceremony. Funded and supported by FACET, SSI’s FTLW Programme has seen three classes graduate and fulfilled its objective to return majority of its participants back to school or into employment.
The FTLW Programme specifically targets youth who experience difficulty completing high school or who are unemployed. The Programme involves a rigorous curriculum that reinforces basic academic, financial, literacy and life skills. The target is get majority of participants either back in school or employed within a 12 month period.
The graduation ceremony was a wonderful spectacle held in a boma-style venue at Pilane Lodge in Rasesa with attendees from SSI’s management including SSI’s Managing Director Lisa Jamu and Operations Manager Tinny Seitei. The ceremony also tied in the graduation of our Aflateen Income Generation Programme, globally accredited by Aflatoon and sponsored by Barclays Bank. Yodit Kassaye-Molosi Community Relations Manager and Racheal Mushaike, Head of Marketing and Communications at Barclays Bank Botswana attended the graduation with the latter offering advice and inspiration to our youth as the key-note speaker.
(Left to right) SSI’s Lisa Jamu (MD) and Tinny Seitei (Operations Manager), Barclays Bank’s Racheal Mushaike (Head of Marketing and Communications) and Yodit Kassaye-Molosi (Community Relations Manager) at Barclays Bank.
The ceremony was a joyous occasion and it was evident for anyone the has known our youth that the programme has tangible results with a noticeable improvement in confidence and a general air of support and community among the participants. This was notable in the way the youth supported each other, making each certificate award a communal affair rather than an individual affair.
The ceremony included performances from “The Soul Brothers”, a local singing group with flair for classic, acapella-style singing. The entertainment offering also involved our ever-flourishing, former FTLW graduates “Yundreamerz Tainment Group,” who offered traditional song and dance. The entertainment showed lovely diversity and expression, a corner stone of The FTLW Programme which seeks to open the minds of our youth and encourage creativity.
The Soul Brothers, perform a classic, Italian song.
We wish our graduates well in the future and always encourage them to use us as a resource for their future development. Our door are always open. This is only the beginning!
We also thank FACET for their continued support. FACET is a true champion for our youth and is truly there For Africa’s Children Every Time.
