BORNUS
The first site was BORNUS, the Botswana Retired Nurses Society. This organization is led by several dynamic women, who have managed to pull together resources to bring services to people living with HIV and AIDS, their families and the children in their community.
I think our favorite stop at the BORNUS center, was the wonderful children's day-care center that they have. The children were playing with puzzles when we arrived, and we all got to help them with the pieces.
BORNUS is an NPI Grantee, which means they receive direct US Government funding. This is a huge challenge, as it means they are required to comply with numerous, complex US Government rules and regulations. They do so with the support of a Technical Assistance provider, and the women who run the organization are clearly up to the task.
By the way, the BORNUS ladies would not let me leave without promising to promote their "Buy a Brick" fundraising drive. For just 3 pula per brick (less than $.50), you can help them build a new building for their day care facility. Visit their website, and contact them for more information.
Nkaikela Youth Group
Our second site in Tlokweng was also very moving. Nkaikela is an organization that reaches out to high risk women sex workers. The visit began with several young peer educators who told their stories of wanting a way out of sex work, finding the Nkaikela organization, and ultimately volunteering to help reach out to try to help other women. These amazing peer volunteers try to help support women who want to leave sex work, but also provide condoms, and condom negotiating skills to women who are active in sex work.
Nkaikela is a setswana word meaning "I can go myself." One of the challenges they told us about was the fact that there are women who want to exit sex work, but have difficulties finding alternative livelihoods. This is a complex challenge, made more difficult because of stigma, the lack of education that some of the women have, and simply the limited number of available job opportunities. However, the group is working to overcome all these challenges, and try to create opportunities to these vulnerable women in Tlokweng.
Nkaikela's work is supported by the USAID-funded program managed by RTI, which helps provide prevention services to most-at-risk populations.
Both BORNUS and Nkaikela are excellent examples of the types of organizations that PEPFAR Botswana hopes to reach. They were built by concerned members of the community who wanted to help their friends and neighbors, and have worked hard to find financial and technical resources to make this happen. The Ambassador and the USAID Southern African delegation all left with a better sense of the needs of these small organization and how we can continue to support their efforts.
(Photo courtesy of Thuy Pham.)
