The programme aims to improve living conditions for the poor in the South African country of Botswana. By providing support for the people at the grassroots level, the programme endeavours to meet the modern challenges facing Botswana, including the negative effects of increasing urbanization: poverty, a high incidence of HIV, a large number of immigrants, and a challenging environment, especially drought.
Our main partners in the project are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Africa (ELCSA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Botswana (ELCB). Various religious and other organizations as well as independent churches are also involved in the project. The programme target group, some 200,000 people, is made up of the poorest and most vulnerable members of society, including poor people in danger of becoming marginalized and who need immediate social support and assistance.
Our local partners, ELCSA and ELCB, are responsible for the implementation of the project. Their human and administrative capacity in diaconia and societal development is supported through education and training. New and better tools and methods for social work are being developed and pilot projects initiated in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. These projects, eventually extending to cover other cities in Botswana, strengthen multisectoral networking and create new partnerships between churches and the public, the private sector, and the third sector. One of the aims is to increase the churches’ media coverage and to improve communication with the authorities and our partners.
Basic data on the project
Botswana
