The revelation was made by the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, through its Chief Public Relations Officer, Chandapiwa Baputaki, As expected, many Batswana have expressed reservations about the grant, but looking at it objectively the initiative is no doubt a welcome development.The Ministry’s press release states that low-income households with children below the age of one year will be assisted with P300 every month to meet their basic needs for the young ones. The payments have been backdated to the promised start date of April 1, 2026."The payment of arrears reflects the government's commitment to ensuring that all eligible children receive the support to which they are entitled from the effective start date of the programme, April 1, 2026. The Child Support Grant is a key government social protection intervention designed to support children below the age of one year by assisting low-income households to meet their children's basic needs during the critical first 12 months of life – a period widely recognised as the foundation for healthy brain development, physical growth, nutrition, and lifelong wellbeing."As expected, the initiative is bound to have mixed reactions from different quarters, but one thing that many will agree on is that the implementation of the promised grant is a start.Many may argue that P300 is too little for a newborn child with needs such as diapers, healthcare, clothes, formulae and other necessities, but as the saying goes: ‘a little help goes a long way’.The money will not be enough to buy everything that the child may need, but it will most definitely supplement the little that the family has. Other countries are far along with this initiative, and the grant is much more than what our government can afford at this time.Some have argued that the government should prioritise healthcare and forget about the Child Support Grant, whilst the argument holds water, vulnerable members of our society also deserve support from the government.We should hold the government accountable and open up a healthy dialogue aimed at moving our country forward.Yes, civil society needs to call on government to deliver on its promises, and healthcare is vital and needs urgent attention, but women remain vulnerable and often find themselves raising children alone without any assistance from the children’s fathers.Whilst Botswana may not be as bad as other countries in terms of malnutrition because of other initiatives such as the Tsabana Malutu under-five feeding programme, we still have many women who raise children as single parents and vulnerable families who cannot afford to feed their families, so support is necessary.Hopefully, the grant will increase as the economic situation improves.
