15 May 2023

Communication, support for one another and unity are essential in building family ties.

Without them, families become intolerant and dysfunctional.

The message was delivered by Gaborone City Council mayor, Austin Abraham during a pre-commemoration of International Day for Families penciled for Tuesday.

“Communication and unity among family members are critical, they serve as a guideline for how to run the family and what moral values to instill in various family members. They also provide a sense of belonging and protection to family members,” Abraham stated.

He said some social ills were a result of a lack of proper communication and amicable ways of addressing issues.

While some families have adapted to nuclear and single parenting, Abraham believed it was also important to maintain contact with extended family members for advice in order to maintain family ties.

The pre-commemoration themed: Working for a Better Future, and held courtesy of Mrs Botswana beauty pageant brand, also aimed to provide motivational talks, to encourage happy marriages and child protection as well as raise awareness on Gender-Based Violence.

Meanwhile, Mrs Botswana Beauty Pageant founder and director, Kgalalelo Lesetedi encouraged married women to engage in community-building activities that would bring positive change to people of different backgrounds, particularly the disadvantaged.

She stated that they should be exemplary of the fact that marriage was not a burden and should not prevent married women from nurturing and unleashing their abilities outside of marriage.

Other activities for the day included face painting, exercises, and learning self-defence techniques. ENDs