14 Sep 2020

The Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC) together with Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) recently commemorated International Youth Day (IYD) in Palapye.

Lotsane Senior Secondary School deputy school head, Ms Boago Senosi, said youth encountered challenges such as gender-based violence (GBV), drug abuse, misuse of social media, rape, defilement and now COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms Senosi said youth, therefore, needed to be equipped with knowledge about these ills so that they could know how to tackle them.

She said they had chosen pupils in leadership positions in the school to attend the commemoration to equip them so that they could cascade what they had learnt to the rest of the pupils.

She said the event also assisted them with ideas on how to make a positive impact in the community, nationally and globally as well as to give them ideas that could advance debate and showcase innovative solutions to pressing youth development challenges.

MYSC principal programme officer, Mr Ntilo Mbo, said the IYD celebration entailed discussions led by youth in different cadres such as law practitioners, youth entrepreneurs, athletes, artists and health practitioners.

A representative from District Health Management Team (DHMT), Ms Pauline Mosweu, spoke about COVID-19 infection, prevention and control measures in the workplace.

She said pupils and teachers should adhere to laid out protocols such as screening, routine cleaning and sanitising, hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, social distancing and wearing masks.

For his part, Mr Anthony Kebiditswe of Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said GBV, rape, defilement and sexual offences had been trending on social media.

He lamented that the custom of bogadi also encouraged GBV because of the belief that a man purchased the woman.

Ms Lebogang Mbwe, also from the DPP, said there had been an increase in the number of rape, defilement, assault, sexual abuse, sexual slavery, passion killings and as well as GBV cases.

She said they had registered 272 cases of GBV and a lot of them happened during lockdown compared to 50-60 cases before lockdown.

For her part, an entrepreneur Ms Lebogang Ntshole, urged the youth to use social media platforms wisely for marketing opportunities, rather than wasting their time.

“Responsibility starts with self, mind and thoughts, be a positive influencer as a youth, in everything you do and be business minded,” said Ms Ntshole.

A fitness trainer from Unlimited Fitness Edition, Mr Peter Lekang, advised the youth to start training/exercising at a younger age to avoid health challenges, when they get older.

He also urged the youth to exercise even during the COVID-19 pandemic, to boast their immune system.

Palapye youth guitarist, Mr Michael Monang provided entertainment for the celebration singing songs that conveyed messages about COVID-19.

He said he started playing the guitar in 2009, adding that ‘I never worked, but I went to Kenya because of my talent and my family is well provided for’.

Meanwhile, MYSC and BNYC donated toiletries and hand sanitisers to the less privileged boarding students at Lotsane Senior Secondary School and the donations were received by the guidance and counselling teachers and the deputy school head.

Lotsane Senior Secondary School pupil, Eunice Kebatsetse said it was a golden opportunity that their school was chosen as a venue for IYD commemoration.

She acknowledged the wisdom and information they received from different speakers, saying they were motivated and encouraged.

She also appreciated the donation especially in this difficult times. ENDS