29 Jul 2026

Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo has launched Letsile Tebogo Charitable Foundation to assist cancer patients, survivors and their families.

Marking the launch of the foundation in Gaborone on July 28, Chairperson of Ntlo ya Dikgosi and Kgosi Malope II of Bangwaketse, said supporting cancer survivors was a collective responsibility rather than an individual or government commitment.

“No single institution can address these challenges alone. Government plays a pivotal role in the healthcare delivery,” he said. 

Kgosi Malope II said healthcare professionals provided expertise, compassion and treatment while the corporate sector contributed resources, innovation and sustainable partnerships.

He further said civil society organisations brought communities together while individual citizens contributed to volunteerism, advocacy and generosity.

Kgosi Malope II said when the above-mentioned sectors unite with a common purpose, remarkable transformation become possible.

“This is what we need as a country. It is therefore encouraging to witness representatives from diverse sectors gathered for one cause,” he emphasised.

He also said the launch of the foundation was a testament to the resilience that Batswana had as well as embracing the spirit of Botho.

Additionally, he said development was not only measured by economic growth or infrastructure but was also reflected in how Batswana cared for those facing life’s greatest challenges, adding that a nation became stronger when its most vulnerable people were supported with dignity, compassion and opportunity.

Kgosi Malope II also said the foundation came at a time when the country had to unite around a cause that transcended politics, social status, religion and background as cancer affected all directly and indirectly.

For his part, Orange Botswana acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Gobe Mbayi said at Orange Botswana they believed technology should serve humanity and that businesses had a responsibility to create a positive social impact beyond commercial success, support education, promote health and create opportunities for a brighter future.

Mr Mbayi said when the Olympic champion became part of Orange Botswana, they recognised in him a set of values that mimicked theirs being excellence, integrity, resilience and genuine purpose.

“Today is a new chapter through Letsile Tebogo Foundation, and we are proud to stand with you, and walk the journey with you,” he committed. He said they saw the foundation as a vision of awareness where women were encouraged to prioritise their health, where families received hope when they needed it the most and were committed to working hand in hand to amplify the important message. Mr Mbayi invited partners to get on-board whether through funding, advocacy, volunteerism, or simply encouraging someone to go for schooling.

Orange Botswana donated P250,000 to Letsile Tebogo Charitable Foundation.

Letsile’s sister, Ano Tebogo read the speech on behalf of her teary and broken brother and founder of Letsile Tebogo Charitable Foundation, saying the foundation was birthed and shaped by love, loss, hope and an unwavering determination to serve others.

She said the foundation was established from a conviction that no cancer survivor should feel forgotten once treatment ended.

“Many survivors struggle with depression anxiety, unemployment, expectation to fill out appointments, social isolation and the constant fear that the disease may return. Families carry that burden alongside them. Healing therefore, is about more than medicine. Healing requires compassion,” she said.

Ano said their vision was to ensure that no cancer survivor in Botswana ever walked that recovery journey alone.

She said their work would focus on providing psychosocial counselling, emotional support, cancer awareness, early detection campaigns, survivor support groups, empowerment programmes, skills development, healthcare support groups, initiatives and strategic partnerships that improved the quality of life for survivors and their families.

“As we look ahead, our ambition is not measured by the number of offices we build nor by the amount of money we raise, our success will be measured by transformed lives, by survivors who smile again, by the father, the mother who regains hope, by the father who finds strength, by the child who learns that illness should never take our ultimate. That is the bottom line we want to build,” she said.

The First Lady, Ms Kaone Boko graced the launch. Ends