Botash, Sua Flamingoes add salt to Majaga’s life
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday August 22, 2022 06:00
A noble gesture by Botash, Flamingoes and other stakeholders is in line with the objectives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which recognises everyone’s right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing.
According to the UN agency, housing is an indispensable part of ensuring human dignity. “Adequate housing encompasses more than just the four walls of a room and a roof over one’s head.
Housing is essential for normal healthy living. It fulfills deep-seated psychological needs for privacy and personal space; physical needs for security and protection from inclement weather; and social needs for basic gathering points where important relationships are forged and nurtured.
In many societies, a house also serves an important function as an economic centre where essential commercial activities are performed,” says the agency. The agency adds: “Despite global recognition of the importance of housing to human welfare and survival, it is estimated that over one billion people live in inadequate housing while over 100 million people are homeless. Governments claim lack of capacity and resources to implement programmes and undertake reforms aimed at creating the conditions for expanding access to housing.
The right to adequate housing therefore provides a unique paradigm for monitoring the steps taken by states towards the provision of housing through citizens’ demands and insistence upon the fulfillment of this basic human right.” Majaga’s new house is electrified and has running water. It also has a pit latrine built by a volunteer.
Previously Majaga, 40, and her 11 children bore the brunt of inclement weather conditions because they were living under a tree for over 20 years. Before Botash and Flamingoes came to the rescue of the Majagas, Moses Chuma, who is the neighbour of the Majagas, accommodated them in his other yard after Tebogo narrated her family’s plight to him.
Giving a keynote address during the auspicious event, Botash managing director Kangangwani Phatshwane said as a developing country, Botswana is facing some challenges that include lack of adequate housing and unemployment. Phatshwane added that there is disparity between the rich and poor and as such various stakeholders have to come on board to help the less privileged in the society. “The status quo calls for different stakeholders to assist where possible in situations that Majaga and her children are facing.
Raising children in inadequate shelter will negatively affect their overall well-being. In this regard, let me thank Flamingoes and other stakeholders for finding it fit to help the Majagas. The assistance that Flamingoes rendered is in line with the objectives of their 2020-2025 strategic plan of helping communities with sustainable projects... I therefore plead with you to support Flamingoes to win the Botswana Premier League (BPL).
I also promise you that Botash will roll out this ideal to other villages within its sphere of operations,” said an ecstatic Phatshwane. Giving the overview of the project, the chairman of Flamingoes, Tirelo Thebe, said they came up with the idea of building a house for someone within areas where Botash operates. “We informed Botash management (Phatshwane) about our idea and they (he) embraced it.
We consulted Dikgosi, Village Development Committees (VDCs) and other stakeholders about our idea and they also warmly welcomed it. We raised funds through a sponsored walk and cycling challenge. Other companies that are doing business with Botash and individuals also came on board. We then enlisted the assistance of the Social and Community Development (S&CD) office to help us identify a beneficiary and they identified the Majagas.
Therefore, it will be amiss of Botash and Flamingoes not to thank everyone who contributed either financially or in kind to make sure that this project becomes a success,” Thebe happily narrated. In her words of appreciation, Majaga stated that the life of her family was a living hell before Chuma and subsequently Botash came to their aid. “We used to sleep under a tree.
The situation was very bad during the rainy season. Our little food was soaked in the rain. However, I prayed to God to help us. I therefore thank everyone who made sure that now my family has a proper shelter,” said Majaga briefly with tears welling up in her eyes.
Katlego Maduo, principal community development officer at Sowa Town Council expressed delight for the gesture displayed by all stakeholders who either contributed funds or in kind towards the construction of the house. Maduo expressed Kangangwani’s sentiments saying that government has some limitations, which prevent it from helping everyone in society. She therefore said this enjoins other players to help the underprivileged in society.
“Children who grow up in adequate housing tend to perform well academically than children who are raised in inadequate dwellings. On behalf of my office, I send my heartfelt thanks to all entities and individuals who made sure that the idea of building a house for the Majagas came to fruition,” said Maduo.
Earlier on giving welcome remarks, Kgosi Kgosi Opelo Ntshwarelang of Mosetse thanked stakeholders who helped towards the building of the house. He expressed delight that Majaga’s children will now grow up in a decent house adding that the family has suffered a lot in various ways for many years as a result of lack of shelter.