How the Diacore Gaborone Marathon is helping feed Botswana’s children
staff writer | Tuesday May 5, 2026 14:43
Yet beyond medals, finish lines and fanfare, the marathon continues to prove that its greatest impact may be felt far beyond race day itself. Over the years, it has evolved into a powerful platform for community upliftment, turning participation into purpose and public energy into practical change.
One of the clearest examples of that legacy is unfolding quietly in Tlokweng, where a hydroponic project is quietly changing what children eat for breakfast. Proceeds from the 2024 Diacore Gaborone Marathon have helped fund a hydroponic farming project now improving daily nutrition for children at SOS Children’s Villages Botswana. There, fresh vegetables, new skills and a more sustainable future are growing side by side.
It starts with lettuce. Every morning, more than 100 children at SOS Children’s Villages Botswana in Tlokweng sit down to breakfast that includes fresh greens grown metres from where they sleep. A year ago, that was not possible. Fresh vegetables were expensive, inconsistent and often out of reach. Balanced meals, especially at breakfast, could not always be guaranteed.
In 2024, the marathon’s charitable focus turned to food security. Six hydroponic farming systems were donated to NGOs across Botswana, reaching communities in Mochudi, Lobatse, Tlokweng, Molepolole, Gamodubu and Mogobane.
The timing was significant. Botswana had declared a severe drought year, with heatwaves worsening already limited rainfall. Traditional farming was under strain.
Hydroponics offered something conventional agriculture could not: a reliable way to grow food regardless of what the sky delivered.
“Seeing children eat better because of something your organisation helped build; that is when corporate responsibility stops being a concept and starts meaning something real. For us, this is how we give back to the community we work in,” said Kfir Teichman.
That sense of responsibility runs deep. Diacore has operated in Botswana for 19 years, investing more than P50 million into community initiatives. The marathon, now in its 13th edition, remains one of the clearest expressions of that commitment.
At SOS Tlokweng, more than 100 children now receive fresh vegetables daily, while 12 households have direct access to produce where previously there was virtually none. But the impact goes beyond numbers. Mothers who once depended on purchased produce have been trained to maintain the systems, monitor crop health and manage growing cycles themselves. The knowledge remains with them.
According to Kabelo Tshimologo, the technology brought an early learning curve, but support from agri-specialist partner Green Gem helped the team adapt. “Continuous learning and collaboration have empowered us to better manage the system,” he said.
For now, in Tlokweng, the results are simple and powerful: children are eating better, families have new skills, and the next crop is already growing.