Touch, Look and Check: Mascom Batanani Walk does it for breast cancer
Sharon Mathala | Tuesday August 19, 2025 14:41
For many, the route was not just about breaking a sweat and meeting a personal fitness goal. It was about something far deeper hope, education, and the chance to take action against a disease that silently affects thousands of Batswana families every year. For Mascom, it was also a stark reminder of their departed colleague, Barbra Gotlop, who passed away earlier this year.
At the starting point, the air was charged with laughter, warm greetings, and the familiar sound of community spirit. The conversation, however, would quiet down as the kilometres wore on.
Since its launch in 2019, the Mascom Batanani Walk has become more than a charity fundraiser. It is a travelling conversation. This year, that conversation centred on the importance of early detection in breast cancer. The message was clear: the earlier it’s found, the better the chances of treatment and survival. Some attendees, who included the Environment Minister, Wynter Mmolotsi, were surprised to learn that breast cancer also affects men.
While breast cancer may still be whispered about in some corners of society, events like this help pull the topic into the open. Men walked alongside women, children clutched their parents’ hands, and teenagers took selfies in between the walk all unknowingly contributing to dismantling the stigma.
For Mascom, this was not just about ticking a corporate social responsibility box. Their presence, from top management to junior staff, signalled a commitment to communities beyond the network towers and SIM cards. As Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dzene Makwade-Seboni put it: “Batanani means to come together. We believe that when people gather, change happens.”
She added: “Many among us have fought; many of us are walking while fighting this battle. Today we walked in unity, and with each step we made a change giving those without access to essential screening the first step towards a fighting chance.”
By the time the last group crossed the finish line, the medical team had attended to dozens of women some for their first-ever breast cancer screening. There were tears of relief, quiet moments of reflection, and the unmistakable sense that this walk had left footprints far beyond the tarred road.
This year, the Mascom Batanani Walk aims to help raise funds to assist between 3,000 and 5,000 patients in moving from waiting lists into diagnostic care as quickly as possible.
“This is our way of giving back, of standing in the gap where help is needed most,” said organisers.
For Francistown’s Mayor Gaone Majere, the event also signalled a boost in the city’s economic activity.