05 Nov 2024

Women Against Rape (WAR) recently opened an office in Gumare to cater for the Okavango community.

Speaking in interview, WAR Okavango office manager, Mr Samson Magano said in addressing issues of human rights, the non-governmental organsisation found the need to have a fully-fledged office in the Okavango District.

Mr Magano, who is also a psychosocial support officer, said WAR offices have been housed at Botswana Christian AIDS Intervention Programme (BOCAIP) offices in Gumare since 2020.

He said their offices, which were opened in Gumare early September this year, would help serve the Okavango people better.

Mr Magano said WAR initially offered counselling services to victims of abuse and had now expanded its services to include counselling covering financial issues, grief, substance and drug abuse rehabilitation as well as relationships/marriage therapy.

He said WAR also had community education and activism which targeted schools, homes and community leaders.

Mr Magano explained that through activism,  the organisation sensitised young people on issues such as teenage pregnancy which was a concern in the district.

He said they have also empowered parents to be able to discuss issues of sexuality with their children to curb issues of sexual violence in children.

“We realised that culturally, some parents are not free to discuss issues of sex with their children,” he said.

He said WAR also did advocacy for the marginalised in the society, in politics and work.

WAR also engages in research on some social ills to find the root cause and how to address them.

Further, he said WAR currently had one shelter for victims of abuse (women, girls and boys under 12 years).

He said the shelter, located in Maun accommodated women whose lives were threatened and children especially those who were sexually abused to protect them while the police cases were ongoing.

Mr Magano said their wish was to have more of such shelters in the country if funds permitted.

He said the NGO worked closely with the police, the Social and Community Development office and community leaders for referrals and urged other stakeholders to come on board to fight issues of abuse. Ends