14 Aug 2018

Institute of Development Management (IDM) students’ on attachment in Palapye have donated condom dispensers at Palapye bus rank.

One of the students, Mr Tshepo Maikano, who is pursuing a Degree in Public Health said in an interview that he and his team donated condom dispensers with the aim to reduce the increasing spread of Sexually Transmitted infections (STIs) in the village.

As a Public Health student and ambassador of his institution, Mr Maikano revealed that after conducting a research on STIs, they found out that Palapye had increasing numbers in STIs.

He said the act of donating two condom dispensers at the bus rank was a calling to bring condoms close to the people and try to reduce the escalating number of STIs in and around Palapye.

Mr Maikano stated that they opted to take the dispensers to the bus rank because Palapye is the central point, therefore receives a lot of people on transit to the north or south.

She said they found it fit to have condoms availed to the public without having to travel long distances to access condoms.

The donated condom dispensers are different from the existing ones because they have been made user-friendly and gives out four condoms at once unlike the old dispensers which gave only one condom at a time, he said.

He added that the newly installed condom dispensers would last longer than the previous ones because they are made of wood and acrylic plastic.

Mr Maikano urged Batswana to utilise the dispensers properly and take a good care of them.

He however appealed to the public to avoid pricking condoms with sharp objects like needles, saying that it would destroy their plans to reduce the spread of STIs and unplanned pregnancies.

One Palapye resident, Ms Othata Mosweu said the students had done a good job by bringing condoms close to people, stating that the dispensers were placed at the right spots, where unscrupulous people would not have a chance to vandalise them.ENDS