21 Apr 2014

Botswana society has always believed in the African axiom that it takes a village to raise a child.

That is why in traditional Setswana society, the upbringing of a child was the responsibility of every elder in the village. But things have changed and those days are history.

Society has become self-centred. The new trend is every man for himself and God for us all. Sadly, orphans and vulnerable children are the ones who have been gravely affected by this fading of morals, as they are often left to fend for themselves, with no one to help them when their parents are unable to do so.

No one seems to care anymore whether the child next door sleeps with an empty stomach or whether they are loved, cared for and supported.

The child is no longer raised by the village. Ours has become a self-centered society. However government is now leading from the front and rallying Batswana to give a helping hand to others in need.

These are the Vision 2016 ethos of a caring and compassionate nation. It is pleasing to note that Batswana are responding well to government’s clarion call, and the old principle of botho is slowly returning to our society.

In recent times, a number of societies, organizations and individuals have mushroomed to establish foster homes as well as counseling and rehabilitation centers.

Amongst those who have decided to carry the burden of raising Botswana’s vulnerable children is Ms Eliah Seagalele of Werda, the founder of A re Tsheleng Foundation.

For 14 years, A re Tsheleng Foundation was just a dream, a figment of Ms Seagalele’s vivid imagination that gave her sleepless nights.

She had experienced firsthand the trials and tribulations of orphans while still a very young girl, doing Form 5 at Ghanzi Secondary School.

That experience stayed with her until her adult life, and she still vividly remembers meeting children who had fallen victim to child labor, assault, defilement, rape and malnutrition.

She was raised by parents who earned very low wages as farm workers, but that didn’t stop Ms Seagalele from sharing the little that she had with other children.

Frustrated by her inability to make a meaningful change in the children’s lives, Ms Seagalele surrendered her dream to God. Since she could not afford to support the kids with material things, she chose to visit them at their homes and playing fields where she would give them a word of encouragement and also pray with them.

She volunteered as a librarian at Werda Primary School and encouraged the children to read. Eventually God answered her prayers and she was able to register A re Tsheleng Foundation in 2010.

But she met another hurdle; she needed funds to pay an attorney to assist her with setting up the constitution of the foundation. She raised money by selling perfumes and doing part time work for various surveys and research institutions, including the population and housing census.

In 2012 she had gathered sufficient funds and sought assistance from Ramalepa Attorneys who offered her reasonable rates and helped her register A re Tsheleng Foundation.

The foundation is headed by Ms Seagale and the board members originate from Werda and nearby villages. Seagalele said they have discovered that parents in Werda and neighboring villages neglect their children and leave them to fend for themselves while they work in farms.

She said parents don’t work in farms to raise money to fend for their children, but rather to buy alcohol. She added that in most cases the children end up dropping out of school join their parents at the farms, where they become victims of child labor, teenage pregnancy and alcohol abuse.

“Incidents of defilement are so rampant in this area. Sometimes the parents even protect the perpetrators. There are so many teenage mothers and most of them end up turning to alcohol when the going gets tough for them,” said Ms Seagalele.

To address this problem, the foundation makes regular home visits and outreaches to orphans and vulnerable children as a way of mobilizing them to attend school.

It also promotes awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS as well as drug and alcohol abuse. The foundation also promotes the spirit of self-reliance by encouraging the community to venture into business and self-empowerment initiatives.

Beside the aforementioned problems, A re Tsheleng has discovered that parents care less about the health and nutrition of their babies. Seagalele revealed that some parents don’t even prepare food for their children.

Such a scenario has compelled A re Tsheleng expedite plans to build a shelter which will house and feed the affected children. The organization has approached a number of benefactors for assistance.

Though very few have responded positively, Seagelele and her team are not discouraged.

“One of our few benefactors is Mr Gilbert Medupe, a local entrepreneur who has given us rent free office space in his shopping complex in Werda. We have also affiliated with Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) and Marang.BNYC has donated office equipment and stationery worth P12 500 to us,” she said.

The organization is able to identify needy children through its members, schools, clinics and social workers. Though it doesn’t have funds to provide needs like shelter and food, A re Tsheleng provides emotional support and counseling to beneficiaries before handing them over to social workers.

But there are a number of challenges, among them shortage of transport and funds, which make it very difficult for the organization to reach distant villages.

Seagelele said some people reject their foundation outright and refuse to cooperate. “But we are determined to succeed and these challenges only encourage us to work harder. We will not quit until the foundation’s vision, mission and objectives are achieved,” said Seagelele. Ends