Lifesaving Services for Botswana's Youth

Every adolescent girl deserves the chance to make informed choices about her health, her body, and her future. Stepping Stones International (SSI) brought HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health services closer to adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Kgatleng (Botswana) through integrated, youth-friendly outreach activities. 

With your support, SSI worked alongside Motswedi Rehabilitation Center, community leaders, Primary Health Care teams, the District AIDS Coordinator’s office, Tebelopele, BOFWA, AO Clinic, and other service partners to reduce barriers that often prevent young people from accessing care. Instead of asking girls to navigate many offices alone, SSI used One Stop Shop activities and health expos to bring trusted providers into one supportive space. 

These activities created safe, practical entry points for girls and young women to ask questions, receive prevention messages, access referrals, and complete services. The approach was especially important for young women who may face stigma, transport challenges, fear, disability-related barriers, or uncertainty about where to go for confidential support. 

What your support made possible 

• 29 adolescent girls and young women completed HIV testing: 8 aged 15–19 and 21 aged 20–24. 

• 8 young women aged 20–24 accessed PrEP, strengthening their ability to prevent HIV. 

• 1 young woman aged 20–24 accessed PEP following referral and support. 

• 16 AGYW completed contraceptive implant referrals: 4 aged 15–19 and 12 aged 20–24. 

• 537 male condoms were distributed to AGYW: 125 to girls aged 15–19 and 412 to young women aged 20–24. 

• 820 lubricants were distributed to AGYW: 300 to girls aged 15–19 and 520 to young women aged 20–24. 

• 109 AGYW aged 10–24 received HIV prevention and stigma reduction messaging: 8 aged 10–14, 37 aged 15–19, and 64 aged 20–24. Of these, 18 were adolescents and young people living with disability. 

The prevention and stigma reduction sessions addressed common myths and facts about HIV, helping participants strengthen their understanding of HIV, reduce fear, and challenge stereotypes that fuel discrimination. Girls and young women were encouraged to see HIV services not as a place of shame, but as a pathway to protection, confidence, and hope. Furthermore, Peer Approach to Counseling for Teens (PACT) members were also empowered so that they continue to have conversations with their peers. 

A key highlight was SSI’s engagement with AGYW and the Phantsha Foo radio show team. The panel discussion gave young people a platform to speak openly about HIV-related issues, access to youth-friendly health services, and how peers can support one another positively. By taking the conversation beyond the activity venue and onto radio, the voices of young people reached a wider audience and helped normalize dialogue around HIV prevention. Phantsha Hoo, which means "Speak Out" is a dynamic, non-judgmental, youth-led radio programme airing every Saturday from 1000 AM to 1100 A.M (GMT) on Yarona FM, a leading youth radio station. (https://steppingstonesintl.org/phantsa-hoo/)

This shows that when services are brought closer to girls (and delivered with dignity, privacy, and partnership), young people respond. The completed referrals and uptake of HIV testing, PrEP, PEP, contraceptive implants, condoms, lubricants, and prevention education demonstrate that integrated community outreach can help girls move from information to action. 

Challenges we are addressing 

• Stigma and misinformation still make some adolescents hesitant to ask for HIV services openly. 

• Some AGYW face transport, confidentiality, disability-related, and social barriers that delay access to services. 

• Continued partner coordination is needed to ensure that referrals are completed and that young people remain linked to care after outreach events. 

What comes next 

• Continue the One Stop Shop and health expo models so girls can access multiple services in one safe, youth-friendly space. 

• Strengthen follow-up for AGYW referred for HIV testing, PrEP, PEP, contraceptive services, and other clinical support. 

• Expand stigma reduction conversations, including disability-inclusive sessions, so that all young people can access information and services with confidence. 

• Continue collaborating with health facilities, Tebelopele, BOFWA, AO Clinic, DAC office, community leaders, and media partners to increase service uptake. 

Because of GlobalGiving donors, more girls and young women in Botswana are not only hearing about HIV prevention. They are accessing lifesaving services, completing referrals, and finding the confidence to protect their health. Thank you for helping SSI keep these doors open. 

Links:

• Dynamic,non-judgmental, youth-led radio SSI programme-YARONA FM

In rural Botswana, a single safe conversation can be the difference between a young person shutting down or stepping back into hope. Your generosity helps Stepping Stones International keep lifesaving services open for vulnerable youth (ages 12–25) and their families, even as needs remain high.

 SSI has delivered (and continues to deliver) trauma-informed psychosocial support and strengthened community protection systems:

• 99 individual counselling sessions (41 male; 58 female) for beneficiaries, community referrals, and walk-in clients. Young people sought support for trauma distress, depression, behavioural challenges, family conflict, school disengagement, and emotional dysregulation.
• 11 clients received EMDR (3 male; 8 female), an evidence-based trauma intervention that helps reduce distress and build coping skills.
• 8 art therapy sessions (EAL) supported emotional expression and self-worth.
• 37 “Healthy Boundaries in Relationships” sessions (EAL-Economic Advancement Leadership) helped youth learn safer relationship skills.
• 36 in-touch sessions and 5 referrals ensured continuity of care and access to additional services.

Beyond the counselling room, your support strengthened prevention and resilience.

SSI complemented individual care with community-level wellbeing activities:

• District wellness day engagement to promote psychosocial services and help-seeking.
• Community wellness initiative participation.
• Grief psychoeducation with 20 elderly women after the loss of a group member.
• Debriefing/burnout support for frontline social workers.

Your support also reinforces protective community systems:

• Village Child Protection Committees: 4 committees reached.
• Community dialogues: 325 community members engaged on issues affecting children and families
• PINAGARE positive parenting: 113 caregiver-teen pairs enrolled (226 participants); 
• Grannies as community guardians: 4 groups supported, reaching 85 with psychosocial support, 295 with GBV action, 240 with health screening/talks, 103 with legal support, and 20 with financial literacy.
• Dithunya Tsa Rona docudrama reached 210 participants, strengthening understanding of links between GBV, child abuse, and sexual exploitation.

Community dialogues surfaced barriers in police responsiveness and follow-up on child abuse/GBV cases, and sustained resources are needed for longer programmes like PINAGARE. Cultural stigma can still make GBV discussions difficult.

SSI will continue PINAGARE assessments and graduations; monitor Village Child Protection Committee action plans; expand kgotla/PTA (Parents Teachers Association)/councillor dialogues; and strengthen the Grannies programme (health expos, legal dialogues, recruitment). We will also sustain integrated PSS—counselling, trauma interventions, and prevention outreach.

The lifesaving services to Botswana youth project is the reason a young person can say: “I’m not alone.”