Botswana: Building Resilient and Sustainable Communities and Livelihoods

Project Overview

Amidst pre-existing health issues, economic instability, and social disruptions in Botswana, the Covid-19 pandemic significantly worsened these challenges. As the government strives to allocate resources for recovery, The Trust for Community Initiatives (TCI), in collaboration with the Botswana Homeless and Poor People’s Federation, has played a pivotal role in bolstering community sustainability. 

This project aims to nurture inclusive, resilient, and sustainable communities across six regions. It champions gender equality, raises community awareness, and prepares for the challenges of climate change through community symposiums and collaboration with stakeholders, including ward development committees and the Botswana Homeless and Poor People’s Federation. 

This project is part of the Building Resilience in Informal Settlements Programme, a partnership between Cities Alliance and Slum Dwellers International (SDI), funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), to support civil society organisations working in informal settlements.

Initial Project Results: 2022-2024

The resilience of savings groups has been evident, with many nearing a return to pre-pandemic levels. The project has supported 1,948 savers across 39 savings groups in six cities, safeguarding their economic well-being.

By leveraging members' savings, significant improvements have been made in access to vital services such as water, sanitation, and electricity. This tangible impact demonstrates the evident benefits of a community-centered approach to development.

Through specialized training, members are now equipped with the knowledge and skills to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. This is through comprehensive education and adaptation initiatives.

Economic empowerment has been exemplified through small business management and skills training programs. By facilitating local peer-to-peer exchanges, a supportive environment has been created for federation members to enhance their entrepreneurial capacity.

Through the KYC initiative, the project has trained enumerators, including federation members and government employees, in partnership with the PSUP programme. Additionally, the federation participated in citywide spatial planning as part of the National Productivity and Competitiveness Policy development, ensuring that their voices were heard. Youth members have been empowered through training programmes with essential skills, particularly in content creation.

Key Achievements: 2022-2024