Kotolaname orphans need help
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday October 27, 2017 13:18
Kotolaname, categorised as a remote area, is located about 20 kilometres west of Molepolole. Most of its residents earn a living through government poverty alleviation programmes.
In an interview with Maganu-Ugokwe, an advocate for children, senior citizens and underprivileged members of the community, said a substantial number of children in Kotolaname are orphans. She said 20 of them do not have families or relatives.
It is said that during rainy season parents leave their children unattended to go to the fields in a bid to provide for them. As a result, pupils are vulnerable to abuse. Kotolaname Primary School has 286 pupils of which 137 are boys and 149 are girls. Amongst them, 65 pupils are orphans and vulnerable children. About 75% of the school roll consists of pupils from far away villages such as Mmamoagi (15km), Tsimane (10km) and others.
“Kotolaname does not have access to many developments and stationary. All the developments and stationaries go to schools in Molepolole totally abandoning those in remote areas,” she said.
She said even though Kotolaname primary has brilliant pupils, they cannot access resources that can help boost their education.
“I feel that the schools outside the city and townships are totally abandoned. Imagine a child walking 15 kilometers to and from school everyday on an empty stomach. These children at times refuse to go home because they have nothing to return home for. At least they are fed at school even though its once a day,” she said. Maganu-Ugokwe added that early this year, a nine-year-old girl was raped and killed by six teenagers who dumped her lifeless body in the bush. She said the deceased was walking home from school due to lack of transport and money to pay bus fares. She said this puts their lives in danger despite the government’s attempt to help the situation by availing four donkey carts to help transport children to and from school.
The other heart-breaking ordeal that these innocent souls go through is lack of school uniform and shoes. The pupils walk to school barefooted in the cold winter days. Maganu-Ugokwe pointed out that these children do not have clothes except worn out uniforms that they also wear at home. She said most of them get uniforms from those who complete Standard Seven as donations. Even though these children are hungry for education, their dreams to change their lives are thwarted by abject poverty, trials and tribulations that they go through every day.
“Even though there are social workers in the area, they cannot offer all the children help. The worst part is that we no longer leave in an era where a sister or brother can adopt and groom their siblings’ children. People raise their own children,” she said. She noted that these children needs to be taught family and cultural values to shape them into responsible future leaders of this country. Maganu-Ugokwe appealed to individuals and government institutions to donate books, food, clothing, uniforms, sanitary pads for girls and school shoes to restore the children’s dignity.
She said she had pledged to buy full school uniforms for 20 children with money from her own pocket, as she does not have sponsors. “I would also like to urge all countries that have embassies in Botswana to help support these vulnerable children. Many organisations always focus on children in urban areas whose lives are much better than the ones living in remote rural areas,” she said. Other schools facing the same challenges include Moshaweng and Molwane, also in the Kweneng district.