Boteti District Council and Debswana have collaborated to constitute a Community Trust in Boteti, to assist Letlhakane community to initiate and develop a livelihood improvement project.
Corporate Affairs Specialist at Debswana, Kabelo Pilane, says the company’s involvement in the development of marginalised communities in the region such as the Bakhwe of Buuhe/Metsiaela, is part of its corporate responsibility in assisting communities in and around Boteti.
He says progress is underway to constitute a community trust which Debswana has committed to sponsor to the tune of P1.5 million.
Pilane says once the project is up and running, residents of Metsiaela ward will greatly benefit from it.
“There is no specific intervention that Debswana has funded targeting Buuhe community at Metsiaela ward in Letlhakane village. However, the community residing at this ward benefits from interventions implemented through Debswana Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programmes,” he said.
Pilane says the interventions include the psychosocial support programme implemented in collaboration with Stepping Stones International, which focuses on reducing negative behavior of children and violence among families, and further promote pro-social behaviors.
“It also promotes family communication, improves community engagement on human rights including advancing teachers’ competency to teach English literacy, grammar and comprehension including improving English literacy, fluency and reading comprehension for standard 1 to 7 pupils in implementation schools in Boteti District,” he said.
Pilane revealed that Debswana has invested P2.5 million in the psychosocial support project since it’s introduction in 2019.
He said so far communities that have benefited from this programme include Khwee, Letlhakane, Mosu and Malatswai.
Other interventions include infrastructure like the five fully furnished classrooms at Seaseole Primary, where majority of children are from Metsiaela school.