22 Jun 2016

The Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso, has implored the society to make a difference by contributing 50 minutes towards the good will of children.

Ms Tshireletso said this at the 50 minutes for children launch in Gaborone on June 22.

“As we will be celebrating 50 years of independence this year, it is an opportunity for us to ensure that all children continue to gain access to their fundamental rights of health, education, protection and participation,” she said.

Ms Tshireletso encouraged the private sector to spend P50 000 on children’s needs across the country, adding that this would be P1 000 per year from 1966 to 2016.

“This will be in recognition of the peace and tranquillity enjoyed by their businesses in this country.  It will also encourage others to make an effort to spend on initiatives that support child welfare with the thought that these are the future human resource of the nation,” she said.

She said government was committed to the protection, welfare and promotion of the rights of children as shown by the Children’s Act of 2009.

“The law advocates that in all decisions that are made concerning a child, ‘the best interest of the child’ should be paramount it is also aligned to the international instruments on child rights being the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of a child, both of which we ratified in 1995 and 2002 respectively,” she said. 

Ms Tshireletso said the Children’s Act provided for the coordination of structures such as the National Children’s Council, Child Protection Committees at local level and the Children’s Consultation forum in order to ensure that child protection is effective.

She said government had invested a lot on children by providing access to services such as education, health care and general welfare.

Furthermore, she said orphaned and other vulnerable children were provided with welfare services that addressed their basic needs to cushion them from shocks and vulnerabilities.

She said in 2010,   government came up with a programme targeting orphans and vulnerable children and remote area community children to access tertiary and vocational education so as to break the circle of poverty in the vulnerable households.

Ms Tshireletso expressed that the responsibility of children’s welfare was not limited to families and government only.

“Civil Society and the private sector equally have a role.  I wish to take this opportunity to recognise the contributions that the civil society  have made in the lives of many families and children.  They have especially have been very instrumental in bridging service gaps among vulnerable populations in the advent of HIV/ AIDS,” she said.

She, however, cautioned that no one should use the noble initiative for their fund raising or to expose children to risks and vulnerabilities.

The United Nations Children’s Education Fund, Country Representative, Ms Juliana Lindsey, said the 50 minutes for children campaign offered a simple platform for individuals to do something positive for a child who was not theirs.

“Through this campaign we hope to inspire engagement in the care, support and development, mobilise investment in children from individuals, private sector, government and international partners and share experiences that raise awareness about children throughout Botswana,” she said. ENDS