14 May 2018

African Women’s Leadership Academy (TAWLA) held its annual retreat for girl children in Mmokolodi over the weekend.

The retreat, according to TAWLA’s founder, Dr Mpho Gilika, was part of a year-long empowerment programme for girls.

Dr Gilika, who was speaking on the sidelines of the retreat on Saturday, expressed optimism that the two-day workshop would, as usual, add on to efforts to empower girl children and thereby enhance their chances of taking up leadership responsibilities once they reached adulthood.

Regarding the one-year empowerment programme, she explained that it was being carried out with the assistance of teachers, whose responsibility, she said included selecting participants of the programme from their respective secondary schools.

She said part of the criteria for selection included the students’ performance of leadership roles as well as exhibiting the potential to be a leader.

Dr Gilika noted that currently the programme worked with schools in Gaborone and nearby areas, stating that each school selected six female students to participate in the programme.

She also commended the parents of participating girls, saying they too played a critical role that contributed significantly to TAWLA’s leadership programme each year.

She also thanked Stanbic bank as well as other key stakeholders for their support for TAWLA since its inception in 2010.

Earlier when addressing the participants, Dr Gilika had urged them to make full and effective use of the programme as doing so would be beneficial to them in the long term.

She challenged them to take it upon themselves to increase the numbers of women in leadership positions in Botswana.

TAWLA’s patron, Ntuka Orapeleng described raising a girl child as one of life’s greatest joys though it was full of challenges.

She noted however that each generation had its own set of challenges.

Ms Orapeleng praised the programme for its efforts to make a difference in the lives of women and girls in the country by empowering them to go out there and face the world.

Ms Orapeleng’s company, Cleanico handed over to TAWLA a P10 000 cheque to support the academy’s work. Ends