23 Mar 2017

A newly formed women advocacy foundation in Khwaiii village, Tena Ko Teemahane aims at being the voice of the community of that village, some 170 kilometres west of Maun.

The brain behind Tena Ko Teemahane Women’s Foundation is a young woman who hails from Khwaii, Ms Diphetogo Lekgowa, who says she stands to speak for people of Khwaii, who are mostly Basarwa.

In an interview, Ms Lekgowa said alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, school drop-outs and lack of women empowerment in the village were a concern, which drove her to form the foundation, which could empower and educate the community.

Growing in a remote area, far from development and well vested in the culture and tradition of Basarwa, Ms Lekgowa is confident that her foundation, the Tena Ko Teemahane Women’s Foundation, which was registered in 2015, would change the lives of many in the community. Tena Ko Teemahane means ‘stand for yourselves’ in Sesarwa.

Ms Lekgowa says the foundation is mandated to address issues of advocacy, women empowerment, alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, school dropouts and leadership in women and children as well as improving their livelihood.

She recalls the time after completing her online studies on Indigenous People’s issues in Southern Africa at Global School of Indigenous Women in New York, that, such was when she decided to come up with a structural plan at Khwaii to help the community to regain their pride. After talking to some women in the village they then decided to form the foundation.

In July 2015, Ms Lekgowa went to New York to present her project at the United Nations Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).

There she was empowered on how to run a successful organisation.

She said the newly born Tena Ko Teemahane Woman’s Foundation hosted a workshop in Khwaiii on issues of World Heritage Site, discussing topics on governance and conservation management with the help of Indigenous People of Africa Coordinating Committee of which she is a member representing Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“With all the experience I have acquired all this years from different organisations, I will now be able to run our own organisation in Khwaii because I want to see this village change and develop in terms of infrastructure, education, empowerment initiatives and good health,” she said.

Ms Lekgowa said the African Bush Camp at Khwaii had agreed to help them with funds to open an office, build three huts and a cultural village, where they would share indigenous knowledge with tourists who would be visiting African Bush Safaris.

As a parting shot, Ms Lekgowa said students would be encouraged to visit the centre to learn and share ideas about their culture.

She further appealed to other NGO’s and parastatals to support them. ENDS