BOLELELA MOTSWANA KO GAE GORE SAAM IS BACK!
Just like that, SAAM is back. As you may now know, BOSASNET is an outpatient rehabilitation center offering substance abuse counselling, group counselling, family counseling, training, and outreaches.
Our main mandate is to educate Batswana on issues surrounding substance abuse. To do this, we have outreaches, presentations, and media appearances (Radio & TV) throughout the year. To intensify raising awareness of substance abuse issues, every year in the month of August, we hold our Substance Abuse Awareness Month (SAAM). The main aim for SAAM is to educate and increase awareness on specific issues related to substance abuse. This year, SAAM is held under the theme ‘ Women and Substance Use #Shadesofpink’.
• Why Women and Substance Use #Shadesofpink?
Majority of the clients who enroll into the BOSASNET substance abuse programme are male. Moreso, over the years, we have observed that women who enroll into the substance abuse programme do not complete the programme as compared to men. However, this does not mean that women do not use substances or that they reach their goals faster in treatment. It is our observation that there is a lot of shame and stigma associated with being a woman who uses substances, which results in the low turnout and speaks to why women do not complete the programme. The shame and stigma are present regardless of the amount used, ways the substance is used, or type of substance used. That is why we saw it fit to educate the nation on the different #shades of challenges faced by women who use substances, making them aware that they are not alone and informing women that it is okay to seek help. As for pink, it is a colour commonly associated with being female, hence the pink in #Shadesofpink. In other words, we go pink, or we go home.
What does SAAM 2022 entail?
SAAM 2022 has several activities which aim to spread the theme.
• Wall of Hope
Coming up from the 1st of August to 31st of August is the Wall of Hope. The “Wall of Hope” is a big canvas that will be placed in malls around Gaborone and surrounding areas, one day a week during August. Women and girls will be asked to write on the wall of hope hurtful words, labels, and negative statements that they have been subjected to by virtue of being a female. The aim of the activity is to empower women and give them hope that they are not the labels that have been put on them, as well as give them a voice and power over those words. We will have a stall where women seeking further help will be registered into our programme or referred to more appropriate services.
• Virtual Flash Mob
This activity will be used to advertise SAAM and create interest in upcoming events. A flash mob will be created in partnership with stakeholders where they will be taught a dance routine which they can record, and a video compiled. This video will then be shared on Tiktok and other social media sites with the aim of starting a trend in support of #Shadesofpink message of SAAM 2022. • #Shadesofpink – My Share, My Story
This activity will involve women sharing their stories in relation to substance use, the challenges they face from their families, colleagues, society at large as well as coping mechanisms they have used and any successes. These stories will be recorded, and participants will have an option to remain anonymous. The videos will be posted on social media platforms on a weekly basis throughout the month of August. To reach more people, we will engage Facebook pages to give women the opportunity to share their stories with regards to substance use.
• Pitso
The overall goal of SAAM 2022 is to engage the community in talking about and demystifying substance use disorders and, more importantly, issues faced by women in substance use. To do this, BOSASNET will host a half-day meeting, pitso style, where high ranking officials from government, corporate and the civil society will be invited to learn about addiction, how it affects their organisations and the nation at large.
Are you SAAM-ING? Are you feeling the vibe? Are you in support of Women and Substance Use #Shadesofpink? If so, go to the BOSASNET Tiktok account, look for the SAAM 2022 promotional video, use the original sound and do
#Shadesofpink make-up, nails or dance to the beat using the #Shadesofpink
caption. Don’t forget to tag BOSASNET.
BOSASNET offers counselling services to people experiencing problems with substance use, depression, anxiety, stress, anger management and adjustment issues. If you think that you might have a problem mentioned above, or if you have a friend or family member who does, we encourage you to seek help. For some, it can mean the difference between life
and death. You can find BOSASNET on
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok or call us on 3959119 or 72659891 for more information.
The BTU President further said credit should go to BOTUBS executive committee and the general membership who paid their monthly subscriptions and made it possible for the scheme to be sustainable during one of the most difficult and never before experienced situations in the burial society’s history. The President stressed that amending the constitution is an important undertaking which demands sober minds committed to strengthening the operations of the society. He noted it was important for members to understand the constitution as it would help them contribute meaningfully to its amendment. “Organisations like BTU and schemes like BOTUBS were made for a purpose. They should be attractive, in order for more teachers 6. to join,” he declared. “We should come up with strategies and new innovations that will attract more teachers to join and grow the union,” said Oitsile. After hours of deliberations at a packed Palapye International Conference Centre (PICC), the general membership made further amendments to the submitted 22 motions. A resolution was taken for the BOTUBS Executive Committee to select a Task Force to look at all the issues raised by the members and incorporate them on the proposed amendments, before being subjected to a vote at the next coming AGM.