06 Jul 2015

Botswana National Youth Council technical advisor, Mr Christopher Batsalelwang says girl guides and scouts are important growth paths for young girls and boys.

Speaking at Botswana Girl Guides Association (BOGGA) day held in Kanye recently, Mr Batsalelwang noted that there were millions of girl guides in various countries around the world today.

The movement was introduced in Botswana in 1924 and quickly spread throughout the country.

Mr Batsalelwang said girl guides had implemented youth programmes and activities in major youth centers.

He said the youth centres provided out-of-school youth with practical skills such as home management, sewing, knitting, cookery and craft work.

Also, he said it built one’s character.

The character building initiatives, he said were in line with the ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture mandate of equipping young people with life skills, to encourage positive behavior change and character building.

He stated that government continues to recognise the role played by the Girl Guides Movement in the development of young girls and out of school youth in Botswana.

Mr Batsalelwang said the council was committed to supporting the Girl Guides Movement further to develop and enable young girls to reach their fullest potential and to make a positive contribution in society.

“The young people are an indisputable sector that should be recognised. Their energy, creativity and flexibility offer an indispensable resource that could be tapped into,” he said.

He noted that the association aims to develop the girls’ potential in order to make a responsible citizen in any community.

Already, he said the association had conducted a two-year course on home economics for school drop outs nationally.

He said the movements were made by the Lord with wonderful program reviving guides spirits.

He said the girl guides and scouts embraced living the promise and the rules of the movements.

“This project was started in 1981, and some of the graduates are working in local hotels”.

He however indicated that there were challenges which were being faced by youth which must be addressed.

Unemployment, poverty, HIV/AIDS and drug abuse, he said were some of the ills affecting youth.

He said some girls were engaged in intergenerational relationships for money and other material things.

Migrating to towns by the youth for greener pastures, he said put young people’s lives in danger.

Marapalalo Ward councillor, Mr Kabelo Lemme said developments bring about positive things such as employment.

However, he said they also bring about harms such as diseases and crime.

As a result, he implored the parents to keep an eye on their children since there were some new contractors doing projects in Kanye. ENDS