Vision 2016 aspires for Botswana to be a compassionate, just and caring nation with all the key elements of volunteerism. Botswana has been one of the main hosts of United Nations Volunteers (UNV) in Africa. The deployment of UN volunteers has been an important feature of UNDP's support to the country, particularly due to capacity problems and justifiably due to the demand for cost-effective expertise for the bulk of programmes being supported by the Government of Botswana.
As many as 300 UNVs have served in the country which grew from 1973 to around 86 in late 1989. The UNVs have collaborated with various national partners in drought relief, teaching, water and sanitation, nursing and other technically-oriented fields, e.g., postal services, soil mapping, meteorology, civil aviation, data processing, business management, and handicrafts. Individual UNVs have successfully transferred their technical knowledge with relative ease to the national co-workers who worked with them as counterparts.
To date, there are thirty-seven (38) international UNV specialists representing seventeen (17) countries, who are serving different host agencies in Botswana. Most are attached to nationally-executed (NEX) projects, e.g., support to the National AIDS Programme and support to the National Gender Programme. This number is expected to grow to 50 by the end of this year as it embarks its recruitment for more and more UNVs in Botswana. These UNVs will be assigned to the National AIDS Programme and in support to the UN Secretary General's initiative, the United Nations Information Technical Services (UNITeS) and World Links for Development Programme.
The UNV Programme has likewise been providing support to the volunteer-sending agencies (VSAs) serving in Botswana. The team has recently collaborated in the organization of a national workshop on volunteerism where participants representing different sectors and agencies at all levels, reviewed the various cultures and forms of volunteerism in Botswana. The workshop has led to the establishment of a national mechanism for the country's preparations for the celebration of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) in the year 2001 and beyond. Botswana's National IYV Committee will assist the process of consultations, facilitate the country's IYV 2001 work plan and make recommendations to government in the realization of next year's celebration for volunteers and volunteer service.
A second national workshop on volunteerism was held on 30 May 2001 at which participants reviewed the definition of volunteerism and deliberated about the benefits and rewards received through various expressions of volunteerism.
Finally, the UNV Programme
continues with its efforts in promoting the unique and comparative advantage
of UNVs by increasing the number of Batswana to be included in the UNV
roster at UNV HQ and enable them to serve as international UNVs through
the National UN Volunteer Scheme in
Botswana.
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