24 Aug 2020

Fourtyfive years ago a young Ms Goemeone Thembo was trying to cross the road in her own village of Kanye when a car hit her and left her with a six per cent chance of survival.

She suffered multiple body injuries and needed resuscitation. The family ‘declared’ her dead and she was in a coma and critical condition for three days before she miraculously recovered.

On that fateful day, Ms Thembo and her brother had been sent on an errand. On their way, they met their beloved uncle who was on the other side of the road. Upon seeing the uncle, Ms

Thembo tried to cross the road without observing rules that should be followed while crossing the road.

Ms Thembo’s story is one of the many stories that had happened to many school going children in Botswana. Statistics indicate that road traffic carnages are the second leading cause of death in Botswana and injure or disable many more.

Behind each statistic there is a story of a father or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister, grandchild, colleague, classmate or friend whose life was sadly transformed in an instant by a road crash.

It is against this backdrop that Ms Thembo rolled out a safety awareness campaign at Maradu primary school in Francistown, where she doubles as a standard three teacher and road safety coordinator.

“Botswana needs a multi-sectoral approach to ease road accidents which claim hundreds of lives and leave many injured annually especially during the festive season,” she added.

Ms Thembo narrated to BOPA that her involvement in a road accident was a life changing experience that prompted her to embark on a mission to save lives, especially young and innocent lives.

She said her responsibility as a road accident survivor was mainly to educate learners in both pre and primary schools about road safety measures.

“You know as a child, you take things for granted and with road safety there is no joke,” she added. In 1997, the Department of Transport and Road Safety introduced road and safety school clubs in Francistown primary schools and Ms Thembo was too happy to start the club in Maradu primary school.

According to the activist, classroom work alone was not enough to impart skills in aspects such as road crossing and as such the clubs were critical to offer practical training to pupils.

She observed that when the department introduced the clubs, most primary schools in Francistown were engaged, but had since faded away.

“I am very proud of myself because ever since I have been leading Maradu rimary school club, we have not recorded any pupil fatality due to road accidents,” she added.

Ms Thembo said the school appreciated her volunteerism as a road safety campaigner saying in 2019, Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) awarded Maradu Primary School a printer in recognition of her efforts in road safety awareness and campaigns.

She said she had also received accolades and support from members of the community especially the parents who drop off their children at school every morning.

“Parents recognize the efforts I make to help their children safely cross over the road into the school’” she eddied.

She added that upon her retirement as a teacher, she hoped to actively work with MVA to reduce risks of involvement of children in road traffic crashes.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) in 2013 introduced traffic safety clubs in various schools in Francistown to reduce pedestrian’s fatalities.

Francistown Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) Branch Manager, Mr Kite Nkala whose organization introduced traffic safety clubs in the city also appreciated the work done by Ms Thembo.

“We appreciate her work at Maradu Primary School and we call upon other teachers to follow suit,” added Nkala. ENDS