19 Aug 2013

The reigning Miss Botswana queen has embarked on her community project to be used in the Miss World pageant billed for September 28 in Indonesia.

Rosemary Keofitlhetse, who preferred to refurbish the dilapidated Botswana Council of Women (BCW) offices and Daycare centre at the Gaborone Main Mall on August 17, said in an interview that she was delighted to be doing something that will benefit the less privileged community.

Rosemary painted the BCW daycare centre white and two reputable building companies; Plascon and Builders Warehouse had provided paints and material as well as labour. She said she chose to do her documentary with the BCW out of no coercion or because they were Miss Botswana license holders.

However, she explained that she did it because the BCW had many daycare centres across the country affordable to many. She said after painting and renovation of the building, she would enrol five orphans which she adopted from disadvantaged families around Gaborone.

Rosemary, who grew up as an orphan and did not have the privilege of attending a pre-school, said she felt she should do a project which will academically empower underprivileged children and prepare them for the future. She has so far developed a comprehensive plan with the social and community development office on the adoption of the five orphans.

Meanwhile, she paid tribute to her sponsors, among them Debswana, Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture and Department of Gender Affairs, for their continued support and encouragement. She also thanked Thornhill and Northside Primary Schools for donating books and toys to be handed to the centre.

Miss Botswana committee chairperson, Bogadi Nwako said since the establishment of the association in 1965 by the former first lady, Mrs Ruth Khama and others, they had established many daycare centres around the country to cater for less privileged families.

Nwako indicated that they were however in need of funds to run both the centres and the pageant as the latter had proved to be costly. Nonetheless, she was happy that the reigning queen was receiving some support from the business community. Ends