SOS Children Update on SOS Children’s Villages Tlokweng and Francistown, Botswana
The children at the SOS Children’s Villages in Tlokweng, Gaberone and Francistown have been really busy this year with events, activities and sports. The judo group at the Village in Tlokweng has been competing in an international event in South Africa, which shows just how good they are! The music groups are very popular amongst the people of Gaberone: the marimba band and the dancers play regularly at functions.
A recent trip to the Wildlife Education Centre was enjoyed by the school children, and youngsters at the SOS Kindergarten have been learning basic computer skills. The kindergarten has been brightened up recently, as the school has recently purchased lots of new fun and educational classroom materials. The children love the bright colours, which also stimulate their learning. Five teenagers from the village are currently at university, and everyone at the village is very proud of them.
Around 30 children over the age of 16 live in youth homes at SOS Children’s Village Tlokweng, all of whom are either still studying at school or undertaking courses at the vocational training centre. They are all doing really well, although those who want to move out of the village are having a bit of difficulty finding a new home.
At SOS Children’s Village Francistown, in the south of Botswana, the new youth homes were opened. A graduation ceremony was held for the teenagers moving in.
The SOS kindergarten has recently been refurbished, and the young children now have a school garden and a grassed playground, in which they run around, laugh and have loads of fun with their friends. Trees have been planted, and the new playground equipment is going down very well with the children!
Botswana has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world at around 35 per cent, and naturally, a number of children in SOS Children’s Village Francistown are HIV positive. These 21 children are receiving the treatment they need, in the form of ARV’s and counselling. As you are aware, young adults are particularly vulnerable to the infection, so all children in the village are given lots of sex education so they know all the facts about the disease. SOS Children is very dedicated to looking after and protecting the children in our care.