18 Jun 2020

Most parents lack knowledge on children’s rights hence the many child negligence and delinquency issues, says Love Botswana coordinator Ms Bokani Thekwini.

Speaking in an interview, Ms Thekweni said her organisation came to the realisation through its Babelegi Mmogo programme engagement sessions.

She said the programme  handled between 20 and 30 cases a month.

Babelegi Mmogo is a community-based project that seeks to strengthen awareness and involvement in the provision of care and support for families at the risk of child neglect.

Ms Thekweni explained that the programme equipped parents with knowledge on children’s rights and responsibilities.

She said the programme, which started as a pilot project at Boronyane in 2013, has had a positive impact on Maun and its environs.

Ms Dorcas Mogotsinyane who leads the programme, concurred that Babelegi Mmogo was yielding positive results and had made a huge difference as far as children’s issues were concerned.

Through the programme, she said, parents had been  apprised on pertinent instruments such as  the Children’s Act.

She stated that issues of school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, alcohol and substance abuse which were rife prior to the implementation of Babelegi Mmogo programme had since been reduced.

Many children, she said, had returned to schools and parents were now able to see the importance of providing care and guidance to their children.

“We are happy that the community has welcomed the programme because of its effectiveness and positive impact it has on them. They have showed interest to jointly work with us to mould children into responsible citizens. If there is any suspicious case, they inform us well on time so that we intervene,” she added.

Ms Mogotsinyana revealed that as part of the programme, an initiative dubbed ‘Tsogang Banna’ which endeavored to take men on board so that they too could play their part in the campaign to raise children responsibly, had been introduced. ENDS