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18 October, 2021

                                            

NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT FORUM

OPENING SESSION ON 13 OCTOBER 2021 KASANE

 

Director of Ceremonies

The Assistant Minister of Local Government & Rural Development, Hon. Mabuse Pule

Council Chairman for Chobe District Council. Hon. Councillor Amos Mabuku

Kgosi Thuto Wasetso

Chairperson of the National Children’s Council, Ms Mamikie Kamanakao

Chobe District Commissioner, Ms Sekgabo Makgosa

Director of Social Protection, Mr. Joseph Kgabanyane

Senior Government Officials here present

Distinguished Government Officials and Partners

The Clergy

Ladies and Gentlemen

Children

Members of the Fourth Estate

GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL

Director of Ceremonies,

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development and its partners REPSSI, Marang Child Care Network Trust and Global Communities; for choosing my Constituency to host this milestone Forum which is both physical and cirtual, not only for Batswana but also for the SADC Region.

Chobe is a unique District in that, though very small in surface area; it shares borders with 3 other countries: Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe

This simply means our challenges in Chobe are also unique as the District serves as an intersection; it becomes susceptible to many social protection challenges, including cross-border issues that affect children and families within the area.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

This Forum, held under the theme ‘INNOVATE, INTEGRATE, THRIVE’ provides a platform for all stakeholders to refine their interventions in order to adequately respond to the mental health and psycho social needs of children in Botswana as well as regionally.

The deliberations at this Forum should form basis for policy reforms to enhance mental health and psychosocial support services for our communities.

BAGAETSHO

COVID-19 has evidently shown us that anxiety or stress related challenges are brought to the fore whenever on is confronted with a situation. Lockdown alone challenged most of us mentally and psychologically, being confined to one place proved to be a challenge to many.

As such, we should cultivate a culture of talking openly, without prejudice or stigma, about mental health and psychosocial issues.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

Its high time we admitted that we all need support, formal or informal in order for us to live a balanced life; hence need for advanced mental health and psychosocial support interventions.

As a nation, we have an obligation to networking with the region in order to address issues emanating from common cultural norms and values amongst us. These have an impact on the success or failure of the interventions.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

Children have raised concerns that affect their development ranging from parenting to abuse and exploitation. They have also suggested ways in which we can involve them in our decision making and programming to enhance child protection and child participation in decisions that affect their lives.

We can either take their concerns to heart and act on them to secure a better future for them or ignore them to our detriment.

The truth is, our future depends on the type of children we are raising now; in our old age the very children we are raising now will be holding positions of leadership; as such our level of effort in protecting and nurturing them will also determine the level of comfort for us in future.

For this reason, we need to work really hard to protect and safeguard the livelihoods of our children, to ensure that they receive early childhood development, that we protect from effects of humanitarian disasters as well protect them from other social ills plaguing us.

DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES

As I conclude, we call for combined efforts from both Government. Civil Society Organizations, Development Partner, Business Community, Media, Academia, Parents, Community Leaders, Mental Health and Behavioral Practitioners to provide appropriate services to our children, our future leaders.

 I THANK YOU, PULA!