04 Mar 2020

Japan has granted Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) P808.4million towards the construction of a community legal services centre in Metsimotlhabe.

Speaking at the grant signing ceremony on Tuesday, Japanese ambassador to Botswana Mr Takeda Kozo said the project was the third that had been approved for the 2019/20 fiscal year under the Japanese government’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects in Botswana.

 His government, he said,  was trying to cater for the needs of people at grassroots level throughout Botswana and had so far funded 58 projects in the country.

“I am happy to announce that the Japanese government has granted an amount of $72 564 towards the construction of the community legal service centre for Gaborone and surrounding areas,” he said.

Mr Kozo said the grant  was  proof of Japan’s  commitment to uphold the concept of “human security”. 

He said his government was aware of the  sensitivity of some of the cases BONELA handled, hence its contribution to the project.

“I have been informed that BONELA aims to provide free services to vulnerable members of the community who have been marginalized and have suffered from human rights violations. I hope the construction of the centre will enhance the valuable work performed by BONELA,” he said.

For her part, BONELA executive director Ms Cindy Kelemi said the need for the facility came after the realisation that people needed access to justice as well as protection of their rights. 

She said gender based violence and harmful gender norms, remained the  challenge facing the nation.

Saying Botswana was in a crisis, Ms Kelemi noted that the country was ranked second in the world in terms of rape and sexual violence statistics.

She said the planned centre was a good example of how communities could come up with innovations to bring positive change to society.

Planned to be centrally located in Metsimotlhabe, its services would be accessible to residents of places such as Molepolole, Kopong, Kumakwane, Gaborone, Gabane and Tlokweng, said Ms Kelemi.

‘The centre would allow BONELA a renewed opportunity to collaborate with traditional leadership in a rural setting, to work collaboratively to make access to justice a reality for indigent communities," she said.   

In addition, she said the centre was expected to provide integrated services such as legal consultation, mediation, self-acting and legal representation.

Ms Kelemi said the National Gender Based Violence (GBV) Strategy acknowledged the critical role played by communities in addressing GBV adding that  access to services was a key component of the plan.

 

“We therefore look forward to contributing to implementation of the strategy through the community legal services centre by providing legal services to survivors of gender based violence,” she said.  ENDS