Restoring Dignity to Botswana’s Elderly
For the past three decades, many Batswana, young and old, have left home to work as caregivers in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States – a practice that here at home remains largely taboo because, traditionally, elderly people are seldom neglected by their own close relatives.
However, that tradition is proving too inconvenient,with some familiesabdicating that responsibilitytoPinkie Monageng Matsheka, founder of Monax Shelter for the Elderly.
Situated on the outskirts of Gaborone in Metsimotlhabe, the modest shelter
offers a safe, nurturing environment that promotes dignity and a better quality of life for the elderly and vulnerable members of society with nowhere else to go and no one to rely on. “Over the years, Monax has seen a rising demand for its services, yet support to maintain residents’ well-being and scale operations has remained limited,” the 65-year-old former teacher tells Voice Woman.
She believes her journey to establishing Monax Shelter was shaped during her formative years. Born in Tonota, she grew up in a large family, raised primarily by her grandmother. “Caring for my siblings instilled in me a profound sense of selflessness – a benevolence I later extended to children in my community by informally adopting several and supporting young mothers.”
Furthermore, two major misfortunes shaped her path. After 22 years of marriage, she and her husband parted ways. Then in 1999, while at work, she slipped on a ramp, fracturing her coccyx (tailbone) and injuring her spine.
“I transferred between schools and eventually left teaching on medical grounds, never receiving my full benefits. At the time, I was my father’s primary caregiver for 17 years until he passed on,” she recounts.
Immobilised and facing health challenges, Matsheka attended regular physiotherapy appointments, where she saw firsthand the poor conditions in hospitals and the neglect of elderly patients.
“I observed seniors dropped off early in the morning by their children, only to spend the entire day unattended. I started cooking meals for them and offering to take them home. I realised they faced many challenges such as abandonment, poverty, and a lack of social support,” she says.
Her compassion soon extended beyond the elderly.She turned her attention to the wider community, supporting impoverished school dropouts and orphans; helping them return to school, arranging transport from their villages, and ensuring they were fed.
Subsequently, many of them moved in with her permanently, drawn to her humanity.
“My own children saw how important this work was to me. They chose to move out, deciding in their hearts to share their home with the community,” she recalls.
Between 2006 and 2011, she organised fortnightly gatherings for around hundredgolden-agers at the local kgotla, providing meals, food parcels, and Christmas lunches entirely out of her own pocket.
“In 2011, I registered a trust to formalise my work, moving operations to a permanent facility. I never saw the need to go house to house begging for donations,” she says, adding instead, she funded the shelter through her catering business.
The shelter also relies on volunteers, many of whom are former children Matsheka helped raise.
“Some completed caregiver courses sponsored by the Lions Club International, while others pursued higher education sponsored by Gaborone University College (GUC) or Boitekanelo College,” she says, adding they’re giving back to the community that nurtured them.
In 2018, former President Ian Khama visited the shelter and donated food, toiletries, and many other essentials.
The visit drew media attention and enquiries from Batswana across the country, encouraging Matsheka to expand.
“I opened branches in Tonota, Matobo, Goodhope, Manyana, Francistown, and my farm at Mmakanke lands, which produces some of the food we serve here at the shelter. Today, Monax supports nearly 4 000 elders, including 50 permanent residents – 30 in Metsimotlhabe and 20 in Mmakanke,” she says.
Some of the senior residents have heartbreaking stories of abandonment by their children, while one lost their descendants during the pandemic.
“We have a resident who lost all five of his children. His late wife was sexually abused as a result of living in isolation, without the care of their children. Another from Mozambique has been with us for three years; he was deserted by his family. This reflects a society in which broken families and neglect leave elders vulnerable,” she states somberly.
A typical day at Monax involves bathing residents, doing their laundry, preparing meals, feeding them, and transporting them to medical appointments.
“Frail seniors and those living with dementia require patience and understanding, qualities that are still lacking in a society that has yet to be adequately sensitised to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. As you may be aware, dementia sufferers are often labelled or perceived as witches or warlocks when they are found wandering at night or in the early hours of the morning. Sadly, they are sometimes stigmatised by their own children.These elders built our nation. They donated livestock to establish the first university through the motho le mothokgomo initiative, so that future generations could be educated. Yet today, many are battling depression and are even denied their pensions by their families,” Matsheka laments, and calls on the government to prioritise fully resourced old-age homes.
“Infancy and old age are the same, they both require care. It is time we honour the elders who laid the foundation for our nation.”
Despite her personal hardships, including being wheelchair-bound for 20 years and never receiving her benefits, Matsheka remains a living testimony.
“In 2018, I experienced a miraculous recovery and can now walk, although I still experience numbness from my spinal injury. My faith and dedication continue to guide my work. I believe God allowed this adversity to expose me to the kind of suffering many elders face,” she notes, adding the most significant donations come from pastors and churches outside Botswana.
“What kind of Christians do we have in Botswana who do not demonstrate the principle of giving; of loving one’s neighbour?” she asks rhetorically, and says in conclusion, “The nation must uphold compassion, and the government must formulate policies to safeguard the lives of the elderly in Botswana.”
NOTE* In 2013, the Republic of China passed the ‘Elderly Rights Law’ law, obligating adult children to provide care and support for their parents.
