However, the battle hasn’t borne the intended fruits as GBV cases keep on increasing, prompting the government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to tweak their programmes to effectively fight the scourge. Last year, the then Minister of Health (MoH), Edwin Dikoloti, told Parliament that 7,512 cases of teenage pregnancy were recorded in Botswana during the past 10 years. At the time, Dikoloti was answering a question from Mahalapye West lawmaker David Tshere, who had asked about the status of early unintended pregnancies amongst girls under the age of 18. His inquiry followed the increase in disturbing trends of GBV cases in Botswana. Recently, Women Against Rape (WAR), a women's rights organisation that primarily supports abused women and children and addresses the issues that contribute to their abuse, launched Ke Sa Le Ngwana Go Nna Motsadi, an initiative aimed at addressing the rising rate of teenage pregnancy in the Ngamiland District. "Ke sa le ngwana go nna motsadi" translates into "I am too young to be a parent” from the vernacular. Executive Director of WAR, Peggy Ramaphane, stated that the objective of the project is to prevent sexual gender-based violence (GBV) amongst teenagers in Maun. "Comprehensive sexuality education training of 6,480 male and female in-school students aged 14 to 19 will empower them to make informed decisions regarding their sexuality and establish healthy, GBV-free relationships,"
she said in response to a questionnaire from The Monitor's sister paper, Mmegi, about what the Ke Sa Le Ngwana Go Nna Motsadi initiative is all about "Life skills will be taught to 150 pregnant teenagers and parenting teenagers, as it enables them to make informed decisions and choices and to live with confidence. "Parent-child communication skills will be taught to 180 parents/guardians, as it enhances relationships and decreases violence in families. The project will be implemented with schools, social workers, and other stakeholders,” Ramaphane added. Asked how people are currently under the care of WAR in Maun, she said: “There are currently five children in the Chibuya House shelter in Maun. The children are referred to the shelter through a court order facilitated by the police and social workers. The children stay at the shelter until their matters have been resolved. They attend school while at the shelter and are facilitated with all social and emotional needs. The shelter is supported by the Gender Affairs Department, the Stephen Lewis Foundation in Canada, and individuals and companies in Maun and Botswana. Debswana employees are notable friends of the WAR shelter, and they have established a poultry house for 50 layers. This provides the needed eggs for the clients admitted to the shelter. Tourism companies and shops in Maun also support the shelter. The latest was Woolworths Botswana, which bought fridges, washing machines, microwaves, and bedding items for use at the shelter.”
Following his second return to the White House last month, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order that froze foreign aid, which threw relief services into chaos worldwide. Many low- and middle-income countries across the world depended on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to, amongst others, prevent diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other related health interventions. Asked if Trump’s foreign aid freeze has affected WAR or not, Ramaphane said the organisation was currently not affected by the U.S President’s decision. She, however, bemoaned: “We have done a lot of work with PEPFAR and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the past. It is unfortunate as these have been the major supporters of civil society work in Botswana.” The Ke Sa Le Ngwana Go Nna Motsadi has garnered support from various stakeholders, including the French Embassy through the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO). BOCONGO was established in 1995 to coordinate the work of NGOs in Botswana.
