A consultative meeting held this past Tuesday heard an ambitious proposal by Fathers Biz to establish a boarding school in Maun aimed at addressing the growing crisis of street children, out-of-school youth and vulnerable families in the region.
Speaking during the engagement, Pulaetsile Cynthia Rendoh, Operations Director of Fathers Biz, said the initiative was born out of firsthand encounters with children living without parental supervision and lacking access to basic education.
“As we were preaching to the children, both at school and in the community, we came across homeless ones. The parents don’t even know where they are.”
Over the past two years, the organisation has been running Good News Clubs in and around Maun, where it observed what Rendoh described as “problems of great concern” including low literacy and numeracy levels, homelessness, accidents among rival groups of children, poor parenting approaches, moral decay, peer pressure, and alcohol and substance abuse among young people.
The Tuesday meeting marked what Rendoh called “a consultative meeting, the first of its kind,” stressing that the organisation would not proceed without guidance and approval from relevant authorities.
“We can’t just come and go. So this was a consultative meeting… should they give us a go-ahead, they are going to be guiding us,” she said, adding that the organisation does not want to duplicate efforts where other entities may already be operating.
The proposed intervention would see the opening of a school with boarding facilities, developed in partnership with Child Evangelism Fellowship, Battle for the Young, local churches, and the London College of Music. The institution would focus on helping children complete their basic education while also providing structured training in music, dance, football and other performing arts.
Rendoh said a key component of the programme would be international accreditation in music. Lessons would be examined and accredited through the London College of Music, with visiting examiners involved in assessing students’ progress.
“Out of this school, even with our musicians, they are going to be taught to read, write, and write music. And then they are going to accredit their lessons at London College of Music,” she said.
The intervention is also designed to be inclusive, catering to children and youth with disabilities while ensuring equal access for both boys and girls. Boarding facilities are intended to support children affected by homelessness or unstable family environments.
Rendoh said the long-term vision extends beyond removing children from the streets.
“I would like to see a wider choice. Do I want to be a musician? Do I want to be a doctor? A minister of tomorrow? A medical doctor?” she said. “First and foremost, I would like to see a wider choice.”
She added that the organisation envisions raising responsible citizens who understand both faith and leadership. “Children have to know… first they need to know God as their father,” she said, framing the initiative as both a social and spiritual intervention.
If approved, the school would become a structured platform to address not only educational gaps but also broader social ills affecting young people in and around Maun, positioning arts, sports and faith-based mentorship as tools for rehabilitation and empowerment.
