Mmegi

The child mothers of Tsodilo

World famous: A not so well-known community lives a few kilometres from the Hills and is wracked by poverty, unemployment and child pregnancies ADOBE STOCK
World famous: A not so well-known community lives a few kilometres from the Hills and is wracked by poverty, unemployment and child pregnancies ADOBE STOCK

During a recent visit to Tsodilo, NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE saw girls as young as 15 years carrying their babies on their backs. A lack of income, jobs and other opportunities has led to the harrowing phenomenon amongst the San communities in different parts of Botswana

Having had no privilege to visit Tsodilo village where the famous Tsodilo Hills lie, I only knew a few things about the World Heritage Site, but little about the community.

Basarwa and Baherero tribes reside in the village, situated a stone’s throw away from the Hills. With one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, an estimated 4,500 in an area of only 10 kilometres in the Kalahari Desert, Tsodilo has been called the ‘’Louvre of the Desert’’.

Editor's Comment
Child protection needs more than prevailing laws

The rise in defilement and missing persons cases, particularly over the recent festive period, points not merely to a failure of policing, but to a profound and widespread societal crisis. Whilst the Police chief’s plea is rightly directed at parents, the root of this emergency runs deeper, demanding a collective response from every corner of our community. Marathe’s observations paint a picture of neglect with children left alone for...

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