What We Do
Our history, past & future projects
Shelter Botswana believes that every child should have access to education and healthcare. We are a non-profit organisation that serves young, vulnerable children and their caregivers who are affected by extreme poverty and HIV Aids in Maun. Maun is a town situated on the edge of the Okavango Delta with a population of over 55,000 people. The town has a high prevalence of orphans, 72% of whom were orphaned because of HIV Aids. Children are often left in the care of elderly grandparents, friends, other family members or impoverished single mothers who struggle to provide for them. There are also a large number of child-headed households. According to a Maun administrative Authority statistics report, only 14% of the orphans in Maun are in school. There is a particular gap in the early years education provision because under the Ministry of Education's Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy, the financial responsibility for ECCE is placed mainly on parents and caregivers. So young, vulnerable children who are orphaned or from severely impoverished families, mostly do not have access to education and healthcare in Maun.
Shelter Botswana was formed by Mr. George Steven Zulu, a former businessman, and resident of Maun who could not turn a blind eye to the needs of these children in his community. The organisation has two programmes: a pre-school and health education & awareness courses.
Our Programs-
The Preschool
Shelter Botswana runs a preschool, founded in 2010, for up to 50 orphans, HIV-positive children, and children from households experiencing extreme poverty where their parents or caregivers are unable to supply their most basic needs. Children are recommended to the Shelter by social workers and community members. The Shelter provides the children with three meals a day and preschool education by qualified teachers. It also provides these students with social and medical care, something that is not otherwise possible for these children as they usually do not have permanent addresses. Furthermore, the preschool gives the children’s carers time during the day to find employment if they are able to.
Vision: A society where all vulnerable children have access to education and healthcare.
Mission: To provide education, nutrition, medical and social care to vulnerable preschool children, and empower caregivers through community outreach focused on health and hygiene.
Values: Shelter Botswana believes in: community solidarity, human dignity and self-determination, equity, respect for culture, democracy, responsible citizenship, and the inclusion of marginalised groups.
Service Area & Target Population: Young children in Maun and their caregivers who are affected by extreme poverty and HIV Aids.
Number Served in Previous Year (2021): Preschool programme (education and psychosocial support): 41 children
Education and awareness programmes (HIV topics and hygiene): approximately 600 people.
2010: 25 children
2011: 28 children
2012: 30 children
2013: 32 children
2014: 34 children
2015 - 2022: +-50 children per year with varying numbers of attendance
Current annual operating costs: BWP356,350 | USD 32,395 per annum.
Past Projects Completed:
-
Since 2010, 189 orphans and vulnerable children have graduated to formal government primary schools to start standard 1
-
A vegetable patch was installed.
-
Ablution block building was built so as to allow the shelter to take on more vulnerable children & comply with the council's sanitary regulations - the toilets, hand basin, and plumbing were donated and installed in October 2022 by members of the community and private local businesses.
-
Computers and internet services were installed.
-
Received a Toyota combi from DTC Botswana for transporting children.
-
An alarm was installed for security system purposes.
-
A playground was donated
Future Projects:
-
Resource mobilization to start economic empowerment programs, especially for caregivers of the children attending pre-school at Shelter Botswana.
-
To extend the health education awareness campaigns to other schools & areas outside of Maun.
-
To build additional classrooms at the shelter in order to accommodate more orphans/ vulnerable children
-
To connect a separate meter box for electricity as we are currently sharing with neighbours which does not allow for control over spending on electricity.
-
Wildlife Education: To acquire or source any donor who can sponsor the transportation of the children to local wildlife reserves twice a year in order to educate the children on local wildlife and to instill an appreciation for Botswana's fauna & flora and reduce learned stigmas about wildlife.
-
Acquire a plot of land for an additional campus in order to assist children in nearby areas.
