10 Mar 2020

Jwaneng mayor, Ms Olga Ditsie, has applauded Komatsu female employees for showing compassion to other women. 

Speaking at a ceremony to hand over maternity packs donated by the employees to Ditsweletse clinic in Jwaneng on Monday, Ms Ditsie said assisting fellow human beings should be made a daily habit, adding that the gesture by Komatsu employees would go a long way in assisting the beneficiaries. 

“These packs will also help dignify the beneficiaries’ rights because lack of such small needs can affect someone psychologically,” she said. 

Ms Ditsie said as far as equality and inclusion were concerned, Botswana has made notable strides in the sectors of health, where women were almost guaranteed safe and proper maternity services as well as in the education sector, where inclusive education was guaranteed. 

She, however, raised concern that despite those achievements, the country was doing poorly on issues of women abuse and teenage pregnancy as it ranked the second highest globally. 

“This calls for action and a stern message needs to be sent out. It’s only a pity that the prosecution and the courts normally point fingers at each other when the issue of giving such culprits bail arises,” she said. 

For her part, Komatsu safety, health and environment officer, Ms Didimalang Serite indicated that they bought the maternity packs with the money that the company gave to them to celebrate International Women’s Day. 

“This year we decided that rather than going out and having fun, we should instead use the money to help fellow women in need,” she said.  Ms Serite said she realised the need at Ditsweletse clinic when she went there last year for maternity services.

She then sold the idea to her superiors and fellow workers who bought the idea. 

Ditsweletse clinic chief registered nurse, Ms Veronica Moamogwe, indicated that the clinic was in dire needs of the packs and that they would come in handy for their patients. 

She said this was more so that they assisted many pregnant women from settlements and cattlepost surrounding Jwaneng who could not afford such packs. 

“Most of them come for deliveries empty handed and in some instances we were forced to give them second hand material such as blankets that we get from fellow nurses who no longer have use for them,” she said. Ends