29 May 2018

Member of Parliament for Thamaga/Kumakwane, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo has applauded Hope World Wide Botswana for coming up with a programme aimed at assisting the girl child.

Launching DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-Free and Mentored adolescent girls and young women), a programme run by Hope World Wide Botswana at Mosokotso on May 26, Mr Mabeo urged the group to also involve the boy child and men in their programme as they were also affected by HIV and AIDS issues.

He encouraged the girl child aged 9 to 24 to make use of the programme and support one another to benefit from Mosokotso youth.

Mr Mabeo, who is also the Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development, said parents should be the backbone of the programme for it to succeed, indicating that they should encourage their children to take the programme seriously.

“As parents you should give your children full support for them to have a good health in life,” he said.

He pointed out that ‘without good health there is no life,’ adding that one cannot produce positive results without good health.

MP Mabeo urged Hope World Wide Botswana not to focus on HIV and AIDS issues only, but to widen their scope to cover general health.

He also encouraged Mosokotso residents to cooperate and work together to produce positive results, saying by so doing they would be helping their settlement to be recognised as a village. He also encourage other

Non-Governmental Organisations to introduce more programmes in their area.

For her part, DREAMS project coordinator, Ms Teko Kanasi said the project targeted young women aged between 9 and 24 to be equipped with life skills to enable them to tackle socio-economic problems.

She said the programme would teach the girl child the prevention of HIV and the reduction of infections, particularly that young women were the most affected.

Ms Kanasi pointed out that Mosokotso settlement was chosen in the Kweneng East for the implementation of the DREAMS programme as it received limited services.

“The programme started on May 1 and is being rolled out to the Greater Gaborone and Kweneng East for now, but will spread out through the country as time goes on. It is led by the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” she said.

Ms Kanasi said the programme would be rolled out to schools and the community at large to include parents. ENDS