Africa-Press – Botswana. A councillor in Ramotswa has proposed the piloting of boot camps to give out-of-school youth necessary tools needed for survival.
Responding to the Ramotswa District Development Committee report and council chairperson’s speech on September 26, Mr Douglas Kereng of Lesetlhana stressed the need to establish boot camps to deal with alarming rates of social ills.
Cllr Kereng said boot camps existed to address some challenges out-of-school youth faced such as drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy and HIV and AIDS.
He was adamant that the camps would help develop a positive mindset and strengthen socially acceptable behaviour beyond the classroom
According to Ramotswa District Development Committee report there was a slight increase of teenage pregnancies which remained a health concern and among the prioritised activities to be addressed in the district.
Cllr Kereng said with an abundance of facilities in the district it was vital to establish youth oriented training and youth centred models that had proven in the past to impact youth life outcomes.
He said those who could not gain access to further their studies must be mentored to have a positive mind set towards life.
He urged youth to make use of available government initiatives such as the SmartBots internet connections and make research on many economic opportunities available.
Taung’s Cllr Keabonye Ntsabane, said she was concerned about the poor academic results in the district.
She said in a bid to improve on the schools performance, teachers’ welfare must also be taken into consideration as it largely affected the teaching and learning process.
Ms Ntsabane said youth, especially girls were faced with a number of challenges socially and economically which exposed them to abuse. She said it was important for relevant stakeholders to engage and map a way forward.
Otse South’s Cllr Sheila Malope said drug and alcohol abuse were a worrying factor in today’s society.
She applauded efforts made by government with the envisaged launch of Stay Sober campaign.
Ms Malope pleaded with communities to assist law enforcement officers in the fight against crime.
She spoke of allegations that some parents operated drug cartels and this was an unfortunate development.
Kelemogile’s Cllr Matshidiso Tlhoiwa decried high crime rates in the district.
She said petty crimes were on the rise and asked law enforcement officers to map a long term crime prevention strategy.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
