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The Art of Living Botswana Chapter was started in 1996. For the past decade, Art of Living courses in stress management have been taught to the general public in Gaborone, Lobatse, Francistown, Maun, Palapye and Mochudi. Additionally, special request workshops and seminars have been conducted at numerous locations including the State House, the Botswana Defence Force, the University of Botswana, Ministry of Water Affairs, Department of Prisons and Rehabilitation, HIV/AIDS support organisations, and numerous private companies. Approximately 4000 adults, youth and children in Botswana have attended the Art of Living programmes. There are currently 7 Botswana-based instructors.
The Art of Living Botswana is registered as a non-profit, charitable, educational society. All members of the Art of Living serve as volunteers. An essential component of the organisation’s philosophy is that individuals should contribute to creating a healthy and happy society. To this extent, the Art of Living has been active in numerous community service projects in Botswana; these include annual blanket distribution in remote areas, sponsorship of facility development and Christmas/Easter parties for orphan care programmes, co-sponsorship of national eye camps (with the Ministry of Health), and free instruction in health promotion and stress release techniques for low income and unemployed persons in urban and rural areas of Botswana. Art of Living volunteers have taught the Breath Water Sound courses in a wide range of settings, including for people with disabilities, orphan caregivers, volunteer teams who care for the sick, and self-help women’s groups.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has visited Botswana three times, spreading his Grace, love and laughter in our land. The former president of Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire, is a founder member of the International Association for Human Values, the sister organisation to the Art of Living.
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Mid-winter 2003 saw an Art of Living expedition to Hukuntsi, a remote village in the Kgalagadi Desert. Members from the Art of Living travelled with food, clothes and shoes to spend time with Father Julian and Sister Marie-Jose who were working with the Roman Catholic Church programmes in the area. We travelled in a 4x4 truck to the remote settlements, meeting the people and sharing what we had brought. Some of the residents had done the Breath Water Sound workshop with Hema a few years ago, and greeted her with excitement as “the lady who teaches breathing!” We were struck as always by how love and breath cross barriers of language and culture. Recently, Father Julian met Guruji in London and spoke to him of his experiences with the Art of Living and his hope that the teachings can bring people of different religions across the world together.
Art of Living has been working for some years with the Tirisanyo orphan care programme in Mogoditshane, on the outskirts of Gaborone (the capital city). In 2002, Guruji paid a visit to the centre, and met with the children at the day care centre there. Art of Living has contributed to providing furniture and school material for the children, and organises lunches with the children one or two times in a year. More recently, we have combined vegetarian lunch with fun activities. In the past year, our get togethers included art lessons, face-painting, games, clowns and a jumping castle. Not surprisingly, they were enjoyed by the adults as much as the children!
The Art of Living has for the past year been collaborating with the Ministry of Health and the Botswana Eye Care Society in running eye for those who are not ordinarily able afford eye examinations and corrective measures. Over 500 people attended the first camp at the main government hospital in Gaborone. Art of Living volunteers have helped to man the camps, and the organisation donated prescription spectacles and reading glasses to those who could not afford to buy them. Subsequent camps have been held in the rural areas, including in Molepolole and for a cooperative of weavers in Odi village. The most recent camp was held in Maun, near the Okavango Delta, and was opened by His Excellency, the President of Botswana. The initiative has been very successful, and we look forward to expanding the project.
Since Guruji’s first visit to Botswana in May 1997, Art of Living has donated blankets and basic food supplies to the elderly every winter. We work in conjunction with the Department of Social Services in identifying recipients, and distributing the materials. | | | |
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