23 Nov 2022

Botswana Institute of Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Offenders (BIRRO) appeals to different stakeholders to assist in putting together a state of art boot camp facility for rehabilitation activities.

Speaking in an interview  recently, BIRRO chairperson Mr Mothei Sejakgomo said they continued to experience high levels of enrolments at their facility through their strategic ties with law enforcement bodies, families, community leaders, and Village Development Communities (VDCs).

Mr Sejakgomo said unfortunately they cannot enroll more numbers because of compromised facilities which at the moment can only register below 50 participants per cycle.

He said that ordinarily boot camp facilities were meant to enroll over 150 participants per intake given the high rise of people suffering from drugs and substance abuse and related criminal activities.

Mr Sejakgomo said BIRRO management took a decision to temporarily halt enrolment of women and girl-child at their boot camp facilities as the state of infrastructure was not pleasing to host such a cadre. 

He said at best boot camps should offer enrolled members of the society a humane experience with opportunities for obtaining assistance and help with rehabilitation.

Mr Sejakgomo said envisioned facilities should safeguard all from appalling suffering, diseases, and mere warehouses from which clients return to society poorly equipped to lead a law-abiding life. 

“Looking at the engagements that we have had with certain government offices we remain optimistic that help will certainly reach us,” he said.

He said from a previous meeting with Mochudi community, the Village Development Committee (VDC) pledged funds towards their daily expenses. 

The chairperson welcomed the great gesture from VDC citing that it will go a long way to help them as a rehabilitation body.

He said boot camps vary in purpose and the newer–generation boot camps emphasise problem-solving and anti-criminal role modeling and not just the strict military model of the first-generation camps.

He said it encompassed fitness to rehabilitation boot camps have one thing in common which speaks to remaining resilient to the set course and going beyond the optimum capability to get targeted goals. 

He said throughout their times of existence they have graduated men and women who were rendered delinquent back into society through their robust daily routines on site.

The chairperson did not shy from revealing that oftentimes they get challenged by clients who escape their compounds due to the pressures that come with the drills however, he said usually when such incidents happen their in-house processes demand them to liaise with the community police for their assistance.

Fortunately, he said always manage to track and  bring them to base to complete their time on camp and graduate. Meanwhile, this publication interviewed Mr Peter Motlalenkwe (22) who was once enrolled with BIRRO at a teenage stage in life to appreciate his views about BIRRO and its services.

He said he suffered from alcohol and drug  abuse and was enrolled with the rehabilitation body for five months. 

He said he also had criminal cases but BIRRO managed to help him to quit everything and live a meaningful and God-fearing life.

"Upon completing my time at BIRRO I got enrolled with Flock House Ministries in Pretoria – South Africa for seven months of intense training, rehabilitation, leadership, character development, and bible studies," he said.

Mr Motlalenkwe said though he was not working he has committed his time to Kingdom advancement endeavors through serving at Alive Ministries in Gaborone.

He said BIRRO helped him in his journey to change his life and urged the communities to aid the rehabilitation body with infrastructure development, citing that during his time at the camp some of the utilities were compromised, however, that did not stop him from persevering to change his life. BOPA