Africa-Press – Botswana. Sunday soccer is not just for fun anymore. It is a vehicle for social change as witnessed over the weekend during the Thapelo Letsholo Sunday League finals which were held as part of the blood donation campaign.
The games played at Swallows grounds were organized by the Kanye North legislator Thapelo Letsholo who commended the public for donating blood.
The MP and the National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS) got involved with Sunday soccer players, fans and the public to encourage blood donation. He expressed satisfaction that the initiative was a success.
He said that the games were not only about sports development and nurturing talent but he also challenged individuals to reflect on being responsible citizens.
Letsholo advised that donating blood was a simple and safe process. He emphasized that regular donation could help more than one patient.
He emphasised the importance of public education about blood donation, adding that Botswana was experiencing a significant shortage of blood from the blood banks.
“As a result of the overall shortage of blood in Botswana, we have launched a blood donation drive to appeal to our people to donate blood. This is a call to the entire public to complement the shortage of blood,” he said.
Letsholo said the plan was to reach out to the youth, who mostly do not attend kgotla meetings to deliberate on national issues.
In this way we will be able to engage with them on different issues affecting them and map ways to assist them,” he said.
For her part, NBTS Blood Donor Recruiter, Tumelo Gare, said they were open to opportunities that provided a chance for them to collect blood where it is safe to do so.
“You may realise that in a year we need to collect 45 000 units of blood, but in the past years we have not been able to reach that target,” she said, adding that they have currently collected 12 000 units.
She said they would be holding outreach visits in Jwaneng, Sekoma, Mabutsane, and Khakhea, to accord an opportunity to those who are unable to go to the centre.
In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Malope II urged the public especially the youth to come forward and donate blood, adding that shortage of blood was a very worrying factor and therefore needs concerted efforts.
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