16 Oct 2019

The First Lady, Ms Neo Masisi, has donated over P47 000 towards the electricity connection for Botswana Council of Women (BCW) club hall.

Ms Masisi handed over the cheque during official opening of the club house in Dagwi on Tuesday.

It was built through donations and sponsors to the tune of P230 000.

The former area member of parliament and BCW representative, Mr Edwin Batshu, said even though the club house was complete, the connection of electricity remained a challenge since the Dagwi branch did not have sufficient funds.

The BCW members of Dagwi intend to use the facility for sewing of school uniforms and wedding gowns as well as to recycle some used materials as a way of creating employment and fighting poverty.

Ms Masisi commended BCW for spreading its wings to most parts of the country since its inception in the early 60s.

She told the gathering that the mandate of BCW was founded on the promotion of good spirit and respect as well as to empower women and the girl child.

However, she said women continued to be faced with many challenges such as poverty and unemployment.

Ms Masisi, therefore, explained that it was under this backdrop that government took bold decisions to come up with programmes geared towards empowering women and the girl child to uplift their standard of living.

The First Lady also commended women for their selfless effort in putting a helping hand in the development of the country saying government alone could not afford.

She thanked everyone who displaced the spirit of volunteerism by contributing to the building of the club.

She appealed to parents to talk to their children about the dangers of HIV and AIDS, saying the most affected people were youth.

BCW president, Ms Francinah Ramathakwana told the gathering that BCW was dying a natural death because it was no longer active in some parts of the country.

She commended the Maitengwe club house for being the only active house in the country, followed by Letlhakane in the Boteti Sub-district and Maun in the North West.

She said these three club houses have never failed BCW in their entire lifetime and appealed to its members to continue with the spirit to make sure that BCW does not die a natural death in their regions.

Some sponsors such as Gaborone-based-businessman, Darshan Singh and his partners donated sewing machines and other accessories and promised to buy sewing materials to the tune of P30 000. ENDS