* There have been changes in the frequency with which CARE Botswana conducts it's work in Botswana, to yearly or twice-yearly. Below are some examples of the kind of work we are involved in.

This section looks at some of the ministries and projects were involved in regularly or from time to time through our work in Botswana. Not everything we do goes on here for a number of reasons, including the privacy of the people involved.  Towards the end of this page there is a section with one-off complete projects.

Evangelism

Proclaiming the Gospel.

We take opportunities to preach the Good News of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. We serve in existing churches - where we are invited to preach or to help with aspects of mission - and we also engage in Evangelism independently. The ultimate aim is to see disciples who are following their Lord with their whole hearts and walking maturely in their faith, without depending on us or external leadership.

'Helping Hands' Project

 

We want to help people around us, many of whom struggle as they live below the poverty line. We were led to engage the local community and directly involve them in helping to identify those most in need and to use our skills to help out. 

Support Local Education

We are committed to supporting a number of local schools around us and have developed good working relationships with the teaching staff and leadership. Our involvement can be to

  • help with spiritual input as requested
  • assist financially or with essential items
  • support particular students who need help
  • conduct assemblies
  • help with teaching English
  • other

To be involved in supporting a school through our work please get in touch.

Setswana Bible and Audio Bible

Give the Word of God

Most people who were born in Botswana speak and understand Setswana very well and the Bible is available in audio form in this language. A number people in the villages are barely literate are truly blessed to have such a resource. Experience showed that people listen to oral Bible devices with great interest and many will hear the Gospel for the first time through these devices.

This project targets those who are blind, illiterate or semi-literate and whom, for that reason, do not have access to the Word of God for themselves. Others, who can read, but do not have a Bible are given paper copies.

We are currently in the process of prayerfully distributing audio devices and paper Bibles sourced through a previous project and a few donated by Christian friends.

Christian Films

Showing Christian films.

We showed the Jesus film and other Christian material a number of times in Nata. They proved informative as well as an encouragement to those who watched, who often asked to see it again.

We hope to also be able to show these in villages around Nata in the future and in other settings.

Bible Clubs

Fun times at Bible Clubs

We were blessed to have a number of volunteers come to work in Nata with us short term in the past couple of years! One way we used the extra help was to organize a few 5 day Bible clubs in our ward (neighbourhood) of the village. We brought a bit of sunshine to the children's lives with games, quizes, fun activities and Bible stories.

Bible Translation

Translating Bible resources into unreached languages

We have been involved in a number of Bible translation projects over the past few years that reach a number of the unreached languages of Botswana. We also translate Bible passages or biblical resources from time to time, when we are able.

Helping People

Community projects

We consider it very important to help those in need to the best of our resources and ability. We helped a wide number of individuals in Nata and around, with different needs and in varied settings. We have plans to expand our involvement and to liaise with other institutions already in place for caring for the destitute, orphans, disabled and vulnerable people.

Sunday School

Fun times at Sunday School

While doing the Bible Clubs, parents asked if we wouldn't do something more regular with the children, like a Sunday School. We started one in August 2015 and learned a lot together since then - from Adam to Joseph and the Christmas Story. We did lots of games and learned some passages by heart in Setswana, like the Lords Prayer, John 3:16 and others. We love quizzes where you get a sweet for a right answer!

 

Completed Projects

Below are a few practical projects we completed to date.

Christmas Gifts Project

'A gift for every child!'

In 2018 this project was started in order to give a gift to every child in two remote village schools, covering a total of 565 children.

Many of the children come from disadvantaged homes and very few of them have even one 'proper' toy. Many of them would not otherwise receive a gift at Christmas time.

By the end of this project in January 2019, more than 1475 children received toys in 3 local schools and one Sunday school location.

Disaster Relief

Giving disaster relief in Zoroga and Tshokatshaa

When floods have devastated parts of villages around us, leaving people without shelter, we organised a clothes and blankets collection to be distributed to the families affected. We were thankful for generous donations from Christians and businesses in Francistown area for the victims of the floods. Several hundred individuals benefited from these donations.

We will continue to be involved in our local communities in such times of emergency.

 

Below are some of the things we were involved in during 2012-2014 when we helped full-time the work of a local missionary and a Christian trust in Rakops, Botswana.

A little about Nata

Nata is a village in the North-East of Botswana which lies near the Makgadikgadi Pans, on the main road between Francistown and Kasane or Maun. It is home to bout 5000 people plus 3000 others in several satellite villages and settlements. Nata can be a busy passing place, where many tourists stop to refuel and continue on their journeys towards the safari parks of the north or the west. When driving through on the main road, it is not immediately apparent that Nata was one of the communities worst affected by HIV and AIDS in the whole of Botswana. (The country as a whole ranks second in Africa for its HIV infection rate.)  The disease has had a devastating effect on the community leaving over 400 orphans in its trail. Even today, nearly half of all pregnant women in the village are reported to be HIV positive. The problems that HIV/AIDS leave in its trail are numerous. There is much room to help and support his community spiritually and otherwise in order to recover and thrive once again. You can play a part in helping this community by partnering with our work.