05 Dec 2022

Botswana Police College Women Network has donated 52 branded jerseys, snacks comprising of chip, peanuts and drinks worth P6 000 to Dimajwe Primary school.

The donation was made possible by cohort of 499 officers, 249 of them being women.

The school management helped to identify the beneficiaries.

When giving a key note address during the handing over ceremony recently, Coordinator of Botswana Police College Women Network and also the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ms Dipontsho Pharithi explained that donation was one of the women network’s goals of  participating in nation building and social responsibility programmes.

She said police officers who were completing their studies in July at the college raised funds to finance this project.

Assistant commissioner Ms Pharithi commended the school leadership for acceding to their request to fulfil their social responsibility role. 

She stated that they started the journey at a time when COVID-19 was still a big threat to all but they never abandoned their mission and the school waited for them patiently to deliver on their promise.

 “Good things are worth waiting for. We come bearing love not just material goods, we were brought by the love displayed by your elder brothers and sisters from the College,” she stressed. 

She also thanked the parents for accepting what they brought for their children.

Botswana Police College Women Network was birthed in 2007 after the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (SARPCCO) members resolved to establish an organ which will enhance cooperation, coordination, sharing of best practices, expertise, challenges and solutions on gender issues within SARPCCO member states.

Ms Pharithi  said the Network was founded under three regional strategic goals, to empower all women in Law Enforcement; Contribute towards combating Gender Based Violence and; Participating in nation building and social responsibility programmes.

The school head Ms Pearl Gachala applauded the women network for their kind gesture.

She admitted that most of her learners did not have school uniform because their parents were not working hence they experienced a lot of absenteeism.

The school head added that this absenteeism posed a challenge  because learners ended up missing their examinations.

Ms Gachala said they worked with the social workers to identify those hard hit by lack of necessities. 

She highlighted that this was the second time good Samaritans remembered them.

The village councilor Mr Elijah Masedi thanked the women network for extending a helping hand to the learners.

He commended them for upholding the President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s agenda and he encouraged them to continue reaching out to other remote areas.

Mr Masedi applauded the women network for working towards dispelling perceptions about police officers, which often  resulted in communities  distancing them from the police.

He said the beneficiaries would grow up knowing that police officers were people like them.

Earlier that morning, a group of seven officers embarked  on a house to house sensitisation exercise in Dimajwe’s Kethoetsweng ward led by Serule Station commander, Superintendent Reboeleng Serumola.

This exercise targeted 11 homesteads and a total of 66 people were reached.

Supt Serumola explained that their statistics showed that cases of violence were prevalent in the area.

She explained that they were also worried by the noise in the village and alcohol and substance abuse which sometimes led to unlawful wounding and in some  instances machetes, bow arrows and knives were used.

They also touched on subjects such as gender based violence and assaults.

Supt Serumola also stressed the need to join hands in the 60 days of action on crime and road safety and also the 16 days of activism against gender based violence. Ends