Sentebale On A Quest To Empower Vulnerable Youth In Botswana

to address the root causes of poverty and inequality in order to support children and young people. Over the years, there has been a strong focus on HIV/AIDS through psychosocial support, community outreach work, and the purpose-built center where children living with HIV can attend week-long camps and receive comprehensive support.

“There is visible progress in combating HIV/AIDS globally, and Sentebale continues to address some of the broader issues raised

by children and young people. Even though our working methods have evolved, our primary focus on children and young people remains a constant. Sentebale continues to reach children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana living with or affected by HIV, focusing on the most vulnerable, who are faced with issues of deprivation, exploitation, abuse, or neglect. They may also be disadvantaged or marginalized because of mental health issues, sexual and gender-based violence, alcohol or substance abuse, sexual orientation, stigma, or other obstacles to their health and well-being,” explained Keegope.

Sentebale's work is centered on children and young people and utilises a collaborative, insight-led, and evidence-based approach to designing and sustaining programs. The organisation listens to the needs and expectations of beneficiaries and ensures the protection of their rights. Sentebale empowers young people by ensuring their safety and confidence, as well as their ability to lead and advocate for themselves and their peers. Compassion, respect, sustainability, and accountability are central to the work.

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE Through empowering young people to have their voices, Sentebale sees this as a benefit as it gives them the opportunity to seek solutions for themselves and overcome the challenges they have.

“As an organization, we believe young people should be heard and given a chance to shape their future. We provide advice, education, and training to help young people understand local policy and the legal system. We encourage young people to advocate for improved health, education, and social protection rights and services, among other things, by working with our youth advocates, trained professionals, and specialist partners,” added Keegope.

The primary benefit of this approach is that the young are empowered to shape their future, and Sentebale facilitates this by offering advice, education, and training to help young people understand local policy and the legal system. The youth are further encouraged to advocate for issues that affect them, which translates to them impacting their peers more positively.

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH UP-SKILLING Most of the activities in the organisation are youth-focused, and by serving individuals between ages 15 to 18, Sentebale empowers them through up-skilling.

Keegope further added that they lever-

age strategic partnerships to deliver skills training such as entrepreneurship which helps their beneficiaries gain a deeper understanding of the skills they can use to elevate themselves. At the age of 15, their business ideas would typically consist of popsicles, litter-picking, and other related activities that don't require a large amount of start-up capital. "The most important thing is for them to grasp the concept well. We answer questions such as, how do you prepare for starting a business? How do you manage your finances? How do you speak to investors? Those are some of the things that we want to focus on. Outside of this, we look for other issues that most communities need assistance with and these range from mental health, academic excellence, and income-generating activities related to the socio-economic empowerment of children and young people. The world is changing, so we empower the children to be ready for the next few years of their lives,” she emphasized.

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH MENTORSHIP AND PEER EDUCATION Advocating for youth is important because it fosters a more responsible society. It can be used to raise awareness about what is best for young people and to assist them in locating the information they require to make better decisions at a stage where their opinions are still in formation. Sentebale strongly believes that young people should be empowered to shape their futures..

STRENGTHENING ADVOCACY EFFORTS: COLLABORATION IN NURTURING STRONG COMMUNITIES As an organization that strongly believes that everyone in the community has a shared responsibility to ensure that children and young people grow in a safe and nurturing environment; collaborating with members of the community, healthcare workers, and young people to create a safe space for open dialogue on youth issues is essential. This in-

cludes discussions with caregivers about sexual and reproductive health and rights, advice on parent-child communication, and working together to ensure young people have access to stigma-free services.

Keegope highlighted that there are many noticeable gaps in different communities that Sentebale intends to fill and support, especially in the creative space. “We are not creatives, but we have established how we facilitate the link between our beneficiaries, and the people who can help them expand their ideas. This is a huge part of what our future looks like and strengthening our advocacy efforts and ensuring that policy and programming truly speak to the needs of children and young people,” she said.

The most important contribution they make to society is by helping develop a generation concerned with the future and willing to work hard to improve it. Many young people are unaware of the tremendous opportunities available to them, or what it takes to achieve greatness. The answer lies within everyone's potential, and Sentebale is a partner in unlocking the great potential of youth, despite the challenges they may face.