17 Apr 2023

Methodist Church of Southern Africa-Molopo District has donated grocery and toiletry to the Francistown-based gender based violence (GBV) centre in support of the latter’s mission to protect women and children.

The church also donated garden tools and water tanks towards a food project and further donated 33 pairs of shoes and learning materials to St Peters school’s special education class.

Molopo District, made up of eight circuits; Gaborone, Lobatse, Botswana Central, Francistown, Ngamiland, Lehurutshe, Mafikeng and Lichtenburg held a four-day women’s convention in Selebi Phikwe recently.

The district’s president, Ms Diabile Morokane, said in an interview that the Methodist Church did not exist in isolation from the community, therefore social ills and other issues affecting the community also affected the church.

She said the women organisation of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa took a stance not to be silent about community issues and had, therefore, put programmes in place for poverty alleviation in line with the church’s vision on transformation and social holiness.

On poverty and GBV, Ms Morokane said since 2020, the church had been on a drive to identify and empower women by training and capacitating them to be able to assist those affected by poverty and GBV.

She said the organisation had also been focusing on needy children where each district assisted by donating learning materials.

“We are a church that embraces women, preaches love and make a difference in people’s lives,” she said.

The Methodist church is also dedicated to creating a more inclusive and welcoming world for all members of the community including homosexuals and transgenders.

Member of the LGBT Task Team for the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Ms Tshepo Kgositau, commended the church for taking a stance to create an inclusive environment for members of the community.

She said everybody was created in the image of God hence the need to give all equal love and support not only in the church but also in the outside world.

“Our responsibility as women is to give love and build one another,” she said.

A member of the Methodist Church and also the former Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ms Botlogile Tshireletso commended the women organization for focusing on women empowerment and GBV.

She said it was humbling to see the church helping government address community problems and promoting equality and inclusiveness in the church.

She encouraged other organisations to follow suit by addressing GBV and all forms of discrimination. ENDS