24 Apr 2014

First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) has revamped the Kagisano Society Women’s Shelter (KSWS) at a cost of P200 000.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, KSWS director, Ms Lorato Moalosi-Sakufiwa expressed her gratitude towards the donation and the partnership with FNBB.

She said gender-based violence remained a serious problem that needed to be counteracted. As such, she said the donation would be able to assist KSWS in its endeavour to address issues of gender base violence. She explained that KSWS was a rehabilitation centre for abused women and children.

The FNBB board member, Ms Reginah Sikalesele-Vaka said recent developments showed that gender-based violence was a world-wide phenomenal, adding that the recent gender links study placed gender based violence at 67 per cent in Botswana.

She said gender-based violence was a major national concern, which was recognised by Botswana and wishful to be eliminated by the long term Vision 2016.

The negative impact of gender based violence she said, went without mentioning such as disintegration of families, which resulted in the vulnerability of women and children to social ills and poverty.

Ms Vaka said children under such circumstance lived in fear with the consequences manifesting into adulthood and causing more havoc in the society.

She stated that the FNB Foundation was formed in 2001 to give back to the community of Botswana, to develop and assist in areas of education, women, arts, youth and others.

She further said the Foundation intends to form partnerships with their recipients for the sake of continuity and sustainability as well to see the impact they are making in the society.

She said giving to random entities led to invisible contribution with some entities collapsing after they had ploughed funds in them.

An official of KSWS, Ms Odireleng Jankey observed that their offices were in a bad state before FNBB stepped in, adding that it normally proved hard to have extra money for refurbishing as donations went to assisting clients and other expenses.

Ms Jankey said there was need for more shelters to assist the abused women and children in Botswana since gender based violence increased and led to serious repercussions like murder.

The donation included refurbishing the boardroom, two counselling houses, office furniture, electric fence, switchboard and extensions, laptops, painting interior and exterior and others.

KSWS is one of the two women shelters in Botswana, with one being in Maun. ENDS