Ko Majiteng : A Safe Space

Tebelopele was formed in 2000 as major player in the fight against the HIV & AIDS pandemic in Botswana. Although our original aim was to provided preventive and management services related to HIV, we have expanded to have fully fledged clinics and health centres and upon our growth we realised that Batswana men generally have difficulties finding a safe space to gain clinical and psychological assistance.

With our growth and assistance from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tebelopele has launched the Ko Majiteng.Com project, a campaign that is meant to empower young men through education and providing safe spaces for them to open up about various issues in a conducive and progressive environment. The name was inspired the word Majiteng, which is a common slang phrase used to define a group of men that hangout together and the aim of this was to use a name that resonates with Batswana men. This project further aims at creating changes in gender norms to subsequently reduce the impact of Gender-based violence in Botswana.

To kick start this project, we hosted our first Men’s Conference on Friday the 31st of March 2023 in Molepolole, which facilitated an open dialogue with the men of the Kweneng East to understand some of the GBV related issues that affect them. With the theme being “ Men & Boys Matter”, the conference highlighted some of the major negative issues that affect young men and boys which included their mental health, physical health and acknowledged that men are also victims of sexual crimes.

The conference was made even more impactful through the presence of the GBV division of the Kweneng East Police Department, Mr. Nonofo Leteane, the Men’s Sector Coordinator, the Bakwena Taxi Association Chair Mr Kabelo Kang and Mr. Bruce Jeremiah from Tebelopele.

With the success of the Men’s Conference, we look forward to more progress with different activities lined up for Ko Majiteng.Com and the growth of the online safe space provided for adolescent boys and young men called The Ultimate Bonfire: https://web.facebook.com/groups/UltimateBonfire/?paipv=0&eav=AfYwG2MSr1HXxxuNCc7_ZbAcptdF_G1gW6yRjeQ-hRHveBIDoamJgQfWJ-nlgcNgEXw&_rdc=1&_rdr