- Ke Sale Ngwana Go Nna Motsadi’ aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy in Ngamiland
Women Against Rape (WAR) organisation has with the support of the French Embassy through the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) launched a new project that aims to prevent teenage pregnancies in Ngamiland.
High teengage pregnancy cases are worrisome in Ngamiland with consequences often long-lasting and negatively impacting learners’ ability to complete their schooling.
Dubbed, “Ke Sale Ngwana Go Nna Motsadi. Preventing Teenage Pregnancy in Ngamiland,” the project which began last month (January) is set to run until December 2025. WAR officials recently met with key stakeholders of the project among them guidance and counselling teachers, social workers, village development committee members, health workers and tribal leaders to introduce the project.
WAR social worker, Bobedi Samoxhose explained that the project has three main pointers they will be focusing on. This she revealed is to prevent teenage pregnancies in the region, encourage parent-child communication and lastly to assist young mothers with challenges they face, especially those who did not manage to complete school.
She said their intention is to engage 6480 students aged between 14 and 19 from 6 identified junior secondary schools, 5 in Maun and 1 in Sehithwa village.
Further, she added that they will engage with at least 180 parents to skill them about the parent-child communication and also guide them on how to be friends with their children. “Sometimes parents are willing to talk to their children about sexual matters, but fail to do so because they are not close enough with their children to openly talk about such issues,” she said. The project officer said the parent-child communication will be conducted at the Kgotla.
She further highlighted that they engage teen mothers aged 18 and below to capacitate them on life and financial skills to help them survive. Samoxhose added that they have also collaborated with the youth friendly clinics as they are also concerned about the prevalence of teenage pregnancies.
Meanwhile, different stakeholders in attendance have welcomed the initiative and pledged their support to ensure its intended success.
Kgosi Taffy Wellio of Boseja Ward, Maun pleaded for organisations such as WAR to intensify their engagements with traditional leaders and other relevant stakeholders in dealing with such social ills facing communities. He emphasised the importance of collaboration to ensure that issues of teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence and others are addressed.
