20 Aug 2024

Since establishing diplomatic relations with Botswana in 1966, Japan has played a significant role in supporting the country across various sectors of mutual interest. This was said by Mr Setsuo Ohmori, the Ambassador of Japan to Botswana, during a media briefing held in conjunction with the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) on Monday in Gaborone.

Ambassador Ohmori highlighted Japan’s commitment to assisting Botswana in fields such as education, the arts, and support for vulnerable communities.

“Since 1997, Japan has supported 67 projects in Botswana through its grassroots human security grant assistance,” he stated. “These initiatives have benefited children with disabilities and special needs.”

Aiming to provide educational opportunities for disadvantaged children, even in remote rural areas, Japan has already made contributions to several schools in Gaborone and the Okavango regions.

Furthermore, Ambassador Ohmori noted the presence of 31 Japanese volunteers currently active in Botswana. He pointed out the impactful arts exchange between the two nations, mentioning that over 1 000 paintings have been exchanged throughout the years.

“We have seen the positive impacts of cultural collaboration,” he said. Additionally, he said the non-governmental organisation AIMEC facilitated the collection of musical instruments in Japan and donated to Kathia Primary School in Shakawe, enhancing emotional education and supporting the development of youth.

Ambassador Ohmori also addressed humanitarian efforts, revealing that Japan, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Botswana, has provided food assistance to Ngamiland to mitigate the effects of drought. This initiative, he said,  was paired with technical training in agriculture designed for vulnerable women and youth.

“This is necessary to strengthen resilience to climate change among the most vulnerable communities,” he said.

For her part, BOCONGO chairperson, Cindy Baeletsi appreciated Japan for its consistent assistance to the civil society organisations.

“Your support has strengthened the civil society and helped it exercise its mandate in the community, such as contributions to pertinent national issues like the constitutional amendment review and the development of the National Development Plan,” she said.

Ms Baeletsi said that as the voice of the society, it was important for government to consult the civil society as it was better informed to know the priority needs of the society.

She said that the civil society also had a responsibility on other national agendas, therefore there was need for funds. “We are grateful to the government of Japan for such assistance,” she said.

Her words were reiterated by the Cheetah Conservation Society chairperson, Mr Douglas Thamage, who said that development planning in the country needed mutual discussions without any finger pointing.

“Our development planning has regressed over the years, and government and the civil society need to engage more at grassroots level to help better define societal priorities,” he said.

Mr Thamage said that the civil society was also to blame for the malpractice as it tended to leave everything to the government, only to jump in and complain when it was already late.

He said that the poverty level in the country was not commensurate with the small population and wealth of resources.

The press conference was organised to brief the civil society organisations and the media about the Botswana/Japan relations, preparations of the XI TICAD Summit pencilled for Yokohama, Japan in August next year as well as the benefits of TICAD to Africa. ENDS