Another long journey starts for heroine Makwinja

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Monday August 2, 2010 00:00

 

The 21-year-old volunteer said the reception she got mostly from Topisi, Tonota, Dibete and Palapye was overwhelming. This, she said, was evidenced, not only by the warm hospitality but cash donations villagers made.'Both the dikgosi and villagers welcomed my initiative,' she said.

Moreover, she was humbled by the reception she received in Phakalane upon entering the city. She said it signified that Batswana now understand her cause. Asked what completing the long distance meant to her, she said it marked the beginning of a long journey. 'I am done with the walk, but not with charity work,' she said. 

She said there were not many challenges she met on the way, besides that at times the heat made it hard to carry on. However, the prospect of seeing children helped motivated her.

The journey, which was punctuated with rest points in villages like Topisi, Tonota, Dibete and Palapye, involved four volunteers and covered a maximum of 40km a day. Makwinja, who started volunteer work in 2008, said she had always wanted to give to charity, but due to time constraints as a student she never did so. Before joining Childline, she had a rosy picture of colourfully painted walls shielding children from the harsh conditions that life had exposed them to. However, it was the opposite of what her mind's eye had.

'The organisation has a serious financial problem,' she said. Having started charity and voluntary work while at high school, Makwinja said her ultimate dream is to raise money to improve the lives of vulnerable children; which makes it part of her change in career path from studying Political Science to Child Psychology.

Makwinja is part of a fund-raising committee working to raise money for Childline Botswana, whose ultimate goal is to raise P500,000 to help the organisation whose available funds can only sustain it for four months. Former Miss Botswana Sumaiyah Marope and Women of Jazz are also involved in the project. Other events lined-up include a concert.