118 quotes found
"To advocate for legal change, which we do, it should not matter what your sexual orientation is"
"The court ruled unanimously on March 16 that standing in the way of the group’s registration as an organization was “to deny their personhood... to deny their humanity, their dignity,” For me, this was very personal. The right to legal recognition is the most basic right you can have."
"Art is one of the key means we can use to document and showcase our history. Films, documentaries- all are meaningful in our struggle."
"The Zambian government should take immediate action against government officials who make discriminatory statements against LGBT people, or arrest or detain them, The attacks on LGBT people need to stop. Monica Tabengwa Zambia :Stop prosecuting people for homosexuality. (May 20,2013) Retrieved 4 November 2021."
"The Botswana High Court decision is a milestone in the fight for LGBT people’s right to equality under the law. Monica Tabengwa Botswana Court allows LGBT rights group to formally register, Elizabeth LaForgia, (25 November 2014) Retrieved 4 November 2021."
"We are the change makers"
"All of us have to act responsibly."
"Young women need to invest in their personal development and we need to educate women especially in the rural areas who don't understand much about their rights."
"Identify a challenge in your area and see how best you can help."
"“Your voice is important. Use it!”"
"Young people should continue to lead their own learning from the people they meet, the events they go to, and the books they read."
"self-empowerment is the best way to help ourselves find opportunities of growth and work"
"As youth, we should never give up on our dreams no matter how hard things may be."
"There is always light at the end of the tunnel."
"Let’s remain patient and keep our eyes on the ball.”"
""women are mother’s of the nation”."
"Lillian Nkosazana Moremi Interview (September 2017)"
"Botswana: 'We Need to Educate Women!, ( August 2014) by Levi Mberego"
"From Student To Teacher: How Lillian Moremi Shows Youth the Way (20 November 2020), By Young African Leaders Initiative"
"If there is any place I don't belong, it's in a mind where the story of me starts with the branch of me being queer and not with my rural roots."
"To truly understand that attaining accessible education, accessible healthcare, and ending poverty, means ensuring that we are cognizant of the voices and lives of people like me; whether it's people who are brown skinned, African, Indigenous, Queer identifying, disabled"
"One thing you will learn from a lifetime of biting your tongue; memories lose their flavors."
"Freedom will come when all Batswana can assume and inhabit whatever gender and other identities they are comfortable with."
"I understand that it both is and is not my duty to deconstruct and then reconstruct my government’s views on the validity of citizens like me whom colonial constitutions factored out and vilified."
"The core behind my work is to ensure that as Batswana we start discovering and learning from what we experience."
"The world we live in is created and it’s been being created and it is still being created. So why can’t we take things that we assume are the building blocks of what we know about our lives, about every single thing that we trust, and turn them upside down just to be a bit more accommodating."
"Katlego K Kolanyane-Kesupile (2020)"
"#TurnItAround UN SDG Action Campaign | Katlego K Kolanyane-Kesupile (Botswana) (September 2020)"
"Developing the nerve to possess yourself | Katlego K Kolanyane-Kesupile | TEDxGoodenoughCollege (August 2017)"
"Kat’s Nine Lives: Performing Trans Identity/ies in Botswana (June 2017)"
"Being trans* is becoming a black woman of complications (February 2017)"
"Queer Literature and Culture: A Dialogue with Katlego Kai Kolanyane-Kesupile (November 2016)"
"I am driven by the thought of seeing myself reach the pinnacle of success."
"I am also driven daily by the belief that I was made to be a positive influence in people’s lives and make a meaningful impact in my community and globally."
"I would like to be remembered as a woman who cared about youth development and women development and who went about doing that in innovative ways."
"Go where you are needed, look for a gap that you can fill and go for it!"
"I really believe the Internet is a well of wealth when it comes to opportunities- be it sponsorships, scholarships, jobs etc."
"I have the audacity to dream, there is nothing that I believe is impossible for me to achieve with enough patience, time, hard work and determination."
"I have been down and out and have had circumstances on every front which could have potentially broken me and made me give up. But I have a tenacious fighting spirit and have learnt not to see rejection and failure as a reflection of my abilities or as a reflection of my journey but as necessary growing pains."
"It is always when I do the things that are purpose-driven that I am happiest, most fulfilled and go the furthest. I’ve learnt to listen out for the voice of God regarding my purpose and follow that."
"I am inspired by women who work hard to make ends meet. The woman who is a street vendor while carrying a child on her back in the heat and rain, the woman who walks Kilometers to go to the farm so that her children can eat."
"Never stop investing in yourself, take that short course, take a year off and go to school, do whatever you need to do to further your dreams."
"You are your own most prized commodity so you need to place yourself as your own highest priority"
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, to learn more, to do more and become more, then you are a leader."
"For me, the most rewarding thing is that I am able to influence people’s lives in my own small way."
"Radio puts one in a position of influence. Many people look up to you for guidance. This makes one humble, because you cannot give people advice when you do not practice what you preach."
"The time is ripe now for women to prove it beyond doubt that they deserve positions of responsibility by merit not by virtue of gender."
"We want our seat at the top table on merit, not because we are women. We should respect each other’s businesses and talents. At some point we should engage each other for a rewarded aid. Let’s be open with each other and advise one another. We need to team up and be passionate with what we do"
"Africa’s future belongs to its young people"
"The fight against Gender-Based Violence cannot be won by an individual or a movement that works in isolation and we all need to join hands in fighting for the rights of women and children."
"I speak to issues that people would rather not talk about and it makes them very uncomfortable."
"I would stage a nude protest by myself because it's a unique approach to addressing issues of Gender Based Violence."
"Most of my constituents were socialized to believe a woman cannot lead, meaning I have to double my efforts to lure people to my side."
"But hey, women who make history do not succumb to societal pressure."
"I've always known there was something in me about speaking on behalf of people and advocating for certain motions and things in the society."
"When you enter politics, you psychologically prepare yourself for the highs and lows but still, when bad things happen you think, "Oh my goodness...it is happening to me.""
"It remains a challenge for women to be active in partisan politics because the systematic challenges in our political landscape demoralize them."
"As women we have to fight until the decision-making-table is diverse."
"I encourage Batswana women to stop being fearful because when this nation tumbles down, we are going to struggle the most, together with our children."
"At the end of the day, women have the constitutional right to be at decision making tables and they should ensure that they have a voice and contribute to develop programmes and laws that benefit them."
"You become unstoppable when you work on things that people cant take away from you. Things like your mindset, character, personality, transparency, your entire big."
"Growth comes with pain."
"Man is not his race or ethnicity."
"“Providing an escape”"
""The library gave us little orange cards assuring that we were diligent members,”"
"“High illiteracy rates throughout the continent especially affect the prospects for girls and women.”"
"“They are new spaces” that will help us actualize “our desire to learn, to be creative, and to share.”"
"“To build a South Africa that many of us truly believe we deserve.”"
"“Driving our economy through knowledge will replace our dependence on a mineral-driven endowment”"
""Libraries will remain critical in this journey to the milestone years of 2030 and 2063”"
"“Libraries have come a long way from the village community hub centered on the baobab tree and the European-style buildings of colonialism,”"
"The African shepherdess who navigates intricate paths, streams and crevasses on mountainsides is more knowledgeable of the future. What I can learn from her is that the streets as a fabrication of order ned constant maintenance. I cherish their view of the future which is that our common future is mediated by the ones above and below. We are mere custodians of this realm and should discharge our duties diligently."
"Know your history, have good command of language(s) and remain open to new ideas. Be in constant quest for knowledge. The art of futures thinking is as important as the science of it."
"Leadership – Until the fear factor and the legacy facto becomes the informing principle for our leaders then the future will always be a “foreign country” Leaders must think beyond their term in office and of the people who entrust them with their livelihoods."
"All global think tanks, scholars, village elders, children and all resources of learning. There is no privileged source all are equally important."
"Alioune Sall – the first “futures studies” expert I met. Nelson Mandela - who gave his life and time to South Africa’s liberation in a selfless way. They keep me in constant reflection about destiny and legacy and to know the two are not accidental."
"A deep rooted passion for the continent’s development agenda both past and present. The present is where I can feed my quest for knowledge."
"Evidence based research to inform policy development. African unity and integration. A common and shared future of Africa’s development potential realised in my lifetime."
"Botswana, Tanzania, Britain and South Africa – Tanzania and South Africa continue to inspire as the cradles of human kind and technological innovation."
"Most as a student of the African past. The future was always in my immediate thoughts in seeking to explain the meaning of the past."
"Others describe me as… Discerning. I describe myself as… Inquisitive."
"Archaeology. The future of the future lies in the past."
"Read widely across all disciplines."
"Partnerships Are Needed To Support Botswana’s Young Innovators."
"I’m extremely excited and confident because, like other African countries, Botswana has a very youthful population. The younger generation is less inhibited in their use of technology and are willing to take risks in experimental areas of their lives."
"Botswana’s youth are embracing technology, breaking barriers, and creating innovative solutions across various sectors, from agribusiness and tourism to creative industries and entrepreneurship."
"There is need for greater global visibility and partnerships to support these young innovators."
"Innovation involves bringing together ideas, research, development, financing, and commercialization."
"It looks good when it has a positive impact on people’s lives. In Botswana, which has been driven mainly by the diamond mining sector, innovation means ensuring that key value chain beneficiaries are the communities in and around where the resources come from, and that these technical solutions are sustainable and won’t bring negative impacts on the environment and livelihoods."
"We also look at ways to address the challenge of youth unemployment by utilizing resources to develop programs targeting young people, providing them with entrepreneurship skills and artisanal training. In the context of policy advisory, we produce knowledge products like foresight research to anticipate future job demands and those that will be phased out of the industry."
"The HRDC was conceptualized almost 20 years ago to address challenges emerging in the management of the higher education sector in Botswana. At the time, Botswana had one national university, the University of Botswana, but there was a shift in the education ecosystem with new private service providers entering. It became clear that one university would not meet all the needs in terms of intake and access."
"The government developed a second university, the Botswana University of Science and Technology, but with new private players, issues of quality assurance, employability, and access arose. The government, through what was then the Tertiary Education Act and the Vocational Training Act created the Tertiary Education Council and the Botswana Training Authority to oversee quality assurance and ensure a resource base for education and training."
"The biggest challenge currently facing the country is unemployment, with a youth unemployment rate above 30%, including both secondary school and postgraduate graduates. There are problems of people without jobs and ironically jobs without people, pointing to misalignment between supply and demand of labour. It’s crucial that we explore alternative pathways to ensure the Government can address employability."
"Another major challenge is Botswana’s mono-economy, largely dependent on the diamond mining sector. In the past, we exported raw diamonds without beneficiation, but recently, the government has negotiated with investors to house some of the manufacturing value chain in Botswana, creating job opportunities for young people. However, the job market remains narrow."
"The government has created safety nets and financial services to ensure young people have access to capital, such as the Chema Chema fund, similar to Kenya’s Hustler Fund. The focus is on small and medium enterprises, with agencies like the HRDC and the Local Enterprise Authority supporting young people in developing and scaling their businesses. Access to markets remains a challenge, but the government is exploring continental trading partnerships and attracting foreign direct investment."
"A transformative investment has been the digitalization of the education sector during and post-COVID, ensuring all young people have access to technology, including electrification and Wi-Fi in villages."
"We have been a bit shy of adopting technology, but we’ve seen young people rapidly take up technology and innovative solutions to their everyday problems. We cannot stay with our heads buried in the sand; we have to move with the rapidity of change."
"Young people are becoming globalised through online media platforms, using digital skills to promote themselves in creative industries like fashion, food, film, and photography. In Botswana, the government has made technology affordable and accessible by providing devices, smart boards and Wi-Fi in villages and schools."
"While job losses have occurred in sectors like financial services due to automation, the HRDC works with other agencies to retool and reskill the human resource. Young people are diversifying into areas like agribusiness, food processing, artificial intelligence and drone technology for crop and wildlife management."
"The use of new technologies has also been beneficial in public health, with telemedicine enabling doctors in Botswana to work globally without moving, and in education, with online learning programs making education more accessible and inclusive."
"Innovation is a broad term that can mean anything from the discovery of new technologies to putting them to good work to transform people’s livelihoods. It has to have a social and economic impact on people’s lives."
"Innovation involves bringing together ideas, research, development, financing, and commercialisation. It looks good when it has a positive impact on people’s lives. In Botswana, which has been driven mainly by the diamond mining sector, innovation means ensuring that key value chain beneficiaries are the communities in and around where the resources come from, and that these technical solutions are sustainable and won’t bring negative impacts on the environment and livelihoods."
"It’s important that whatever innovation we are developing is done ethically and sustainably so that it can continue benefiting communities positively. This is especially critical when dealing with challenges like access to clean water and safe birth technologies, which can transform the lives of women and children."
"In terms of land management, Botswana has an interesting system where people have access to both rural agrarian land and urban land. The government has ensured that young people who have inherited land can use it as capital for agribusiness and tourism. They can have a traditional cattle post on part of the land and develop the other part into cultural villages or eco-villages."
"Community-based natural resource management has also been important, especially in the Okavango Delta, where indigenous skills like mokoro poling are being brought into the tourism market. We’ve seen young people venture into using indigenous products like leather and the palm tree to make products that are now going into a more global space through online marketing platforms."
"There has been an explosion of new talent and creativity, taking what has been the traditional marketplace and moving it into a global export platform. In the music scene, young people have used indigenous languages to create new music genres like Amapiano, gaining global visibility."
"In the culinary world, Botswana chefs are promoting the country’s cuisine globally. Young entrepreneurs are manufacturing beauty products for black skin that are entering global markets. They are becoming boundary less in their innovation, enterprising, and partnering to ensure their products reach beyond Botswana’s borders."
"I’m extremely excited and confident because, like other African countries, Botswana has a very youthful population. The younger generation is less inhibited in their use of technology and are willing to take risks in experimental areas of their lives. They are breaking barriers that were there before in terms of access to new knowledge, innovative technologies, and markets. They are able to hybridize what they know and create new fusions that are becoming beneficial. For example, the fusion between music, clothing, and film allows young artists to move between different workspaces. They can hold multiple jobs as DJs, fashion designers, voiceover artists, filmmakers, and product developers, multiplying their skills and income opportunities."
"However, their biggest challenge is protecting their products, as there are many perils that make them extremely vulnerable. We need a regulatory framework to ensure they can continue protecting their resources and knowledge."
"Nobody wakes up one day and decides to leave their country if there is good governance, if there is a rule of law, if human rights are in fact being protected and respected."
"What will happen to those who are vulnerable?"
"“I don’t appreciate how certain members of society have continued to address me as a ‘he’ instead of a ‘she’. I gave my time to some people, opening myself up and sharing intimate details of my life but my experiences are being sensationalized. As of now, I will choose when and how to engage the public,”"
"“Are these people here for me?”"
"“Thank you for coming…”"
"African youth are becoming more courageous, countries have changed parliaments, countries have changed presidents, countries have changed political parties that have been ruling for years and this is because of young people. I think that alone goes to show how much young people are courageous."
"Until young people are seated at the table, we will not see meaningful change."
"We can realize the Africa we envision. The Africa we want is within our hand because Africa is young."
"We gather here not just to celebrate but to remind ourselves of the great power that lives in the hearts of Batswana. It is built by young people who refuse to take the backseat. Their drive shows that solutions for global challenges can start right here in Botswana."