A new partnership between Rotary Okavango and Lodge Builders Botswana (LBB) aims to empower 500 out-of-school and unadmitted Form 3 students through a fully funded leadership and personal development programme designed to instill hope, discipline and a renewed sense of purpose.
The initiative, titled Tsholetsang Banana – Uplift the Youth, will deliver a free nine-day training programme in six workshop rounds beginning 3 March at the Maun Methodist Church. The programme will run until 22 May and is fully sponsored by Lodge Builders Botswana under the auspices of Rotary Okavango.
Anja Barnard, Co-Director of Lodge Builders Botswana, said the project is designed for sustainable, long-term impact.
“We are investing in Botswana’s future and that makes us very, very proud to be part of this,” Barnard said. “It is a sustainable project. We are hoping to maybe expand, not only in Maun but maybe in other villages, and we are going to reach hopefully 500 young people.”
She described the initiative as both a professional commitment and a deeply personal one, adding that the goal is to make a tangible difference in the lives of participants.
Support for youth empowerment is also reflected within Lodge Builders Botswana’s own employment practices. A representative from the company noted that over 90 percent of its 450 employees come from the Ngamiland region, with 70 percent of them being young people.
David Tregilges, founder of Drongo and a partner in the initiative said the programme is focused on shifting mindsets and helping young people recognise their value and potential.
“They in fact do have an exciting future. There are many opportunities but it needs to go with a new positive mindset,” Tregilges said. “What we do in the two weeks where we are going to be having them is to instill hope, self-discipline, good self-image and a good understanding of where they are going to go and what they are going to do.”
Tregilges explained that a pilot programme conducted last year reached 250 Form 3 students in groups of 50 and yielded encouraging results. Participants, he said, left feeling motivated and determined.
He emphasised that the programme’s foundation is rooted in restoring self-worth and encouraging youth to measure themselves not by qualifications or job titles, but by their contribution to society.
The workshops are being delivered through a collaboration between Strongo School of Leadership and Botoka Foundation, operating under Rotary Okavango. Mount Methodist Church has offered its facilities free of charge as part of its contribution to community development.
A former participant, Kagiso, also shared his testimony, describing the training as life-changing.
“As we all know that the journey of a thousand miles begins with that single step,” he said while holding his certificate from Strongo School of Leadership. “I have taken a single step to go and enroll for personal development. I believe from here my life will never be the same.”
He encouraged future participants not to give up, urging them to continue believing in their purpose.
Registration for Tsholetsang Banana – Uplift the Youth opens on 9 February and can be completed via Rotary Okavango’s Facebook page, by calling or messaging 73868676, or by emailing rotaryokavango@gmail.com with the student’s name, age, gender and contact number.
Rotary Okavango, chartered in May 2024, forms part of Rotary International’s global network committed to “Service Above Self,” connecting local communities to resources that enrich lives and build thriving societies. Founded in 1993, Lodge Builders Botswana is a Maun-based lodge construction company operating across the Okavango Delta and employing a fully Batswana workforce.
