Africa-Press – Botswana. Twenty-six psychotherapy graduates, otherwise known as Cohort 3, have vowed to change their delinquent behaviour as well as that of those around them in their respective villages.
During the graduation event last Friday, following a 10-day psychotherapy retreat camp at Ark and Mark, graduates of ages between 14 and 18 years from Malatswae, Mmadinare and Mmashoro villages vowed to shun delinquent temptations.
“Ke le Molekane, ke ema ha pele ga lona Dinaletsana, ke ikana gore ke ikemiseditse go fetoga. Ke ithutile ditsela tsa go lebagana le matshwenyego ame. Ke tlaa tsaya boikarabelo ka botshelo jwa me,” they all vowed to change and take responsibility of their lives going forward.
“I vow that I have changed and am now a new person altogether. Before this session I used to smoke and peddle marijuana, but I have since realised that it was an illegal behaviour,” said 17-year-old Thato Gae* from Mmadinare.
Thato thanked Serowe District Council and Cohort 3 for the wilderness therapy after noting some change in his behaviour.
At the ceremony, principal social welfare officer, Mr Tshepiso Molefhe put a soil in a glass filled with clear water and asked graduates what the soil represented, to which they mentioned diseases, drugs and some bad behaviour while some felt that the water should be discarded becuase it was contaminated.
To that, Mr Molefhe said such water could still be filtered and refined to render it potable again. The same, he said, could be done to juveniles who had strayed from their good behaviours, owing to drugs and other social ills.
“You’ll not be young forever. Your parents may not be there in future and you’ll have to stand on your own,” Mr Molefhe advised.
He also implored graduates to share information with those they interacted with since they would need their support to continue clinging to the education they received during the 10-day psychotherapy session.
For her part, acting social and community development officer, Ms Motlogelwa Gaboratanelwe appealed to the graduates to guard against activities that may impact their mental health negatively.
“Go back to advocate for positive behaviour change and be the role models of such,” Ms Gaboratanelwe said, adding that graduates should exchange and share information.
The juveniles were accompanied by three parents and learnt various life skills, games that encouraged unity and bred trust amongst the Cohort 3.
Dubbed Dinaletsana, the juveniles were selected from various villages under Serowe District Council by department of social services in conjunction with various schools judging by their conduct at home, schools and generally how they offended the law.
The main aim of the therapy session was to help children unlearn their unbecoming behaviour.
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