Young Women’s Christian Association – YWCA

YWCA of Botswana Is a non-profit organization which was founded in 1962, that seeks to empower women and youth on human development issues nationwide. Since it’s inception,it has grown in leaps and bounds, offering health and education interventions to women and youth as the most vulnerable groups in the society.

It’s mission is to empower women and youth to work towards the elimination of all obstacles that hinder their holistic growth and development (spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally)
It directs the effort of women and youth in search of genuine peace ensuring justice, freedom and dignity for all people at all times
The association provides an opportunity for women and youth to be part of the socio-economic development agenda through voluntarism.

YWCA INITIATIVES
Over the years YWCA of Botswana has embarked on various intiatives such as:

• Youth development education and skills
• Gender equality promotion
• Human rights, peace and advocacy

YWCA OF BOTSWANA is renowned for the following programmes

• Upholding Christian values
• Membership organizations
• Peer Approach To Counseling by Teens
• Dressing making School

PEER APPROACH TO COUNSELING BY TEENS (PACT)

Focus on empowerment of in and out of Youth on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health, Alcohol/substance abuse, development of life skills especially with the advent of HIV/ AIDS

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The following activities i.e dress making and sewing are some of the incomes generating activities being taken to develop and impart entrepreneurship skills to the youth and women in Botswana

DRESSING MAKING SCHOOL

Seatla Sa Mosadi is a vocational training institute located in Maun which offers a dressmaking & pattern design course which was designed with the intention of promoting economic empowerment for women by imparting dressmaking & pattern design skills in a classroom setup. Skills gained from this course is meant for the women (now encompassing men) to be able to sustain themselves by opening up businesses, selling their own designs and entering regional and international competitions. The school receives at least 15 students (men & women (aged between 18- 45)) on a yearly basis and they are trained for a period of a year, of which at the end, they partake in an examination and graduate.