Maun, Botswana: Two major tourism operators, Chobe Holdings and Natural Selection, have partnered with UNICEF Botswana to strengthen early childhood development services in communities linked to the country’s tourism economy.
The collaboration was formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed during an early childhood development engagement in Maun, an event witnessed by Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Nono Kgafela-Mokoka.
UNICEF Botswana Representative Kimanzi Muthengi said investment in young children delivers social as well as economic returns, particularly for the tourism sector. He noted that quality early learning services can improve employee wellbeing, support staff retention and advance gender equality, while assuring parents that their children are in safe, nurturing environments.
Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana Vice Chairperson Tebogo Boalotswe said the industry depends on stable communities and supported families. He argued that tourism businesses can make a direct contribution by funding or supporting early childhood centres, nutrition programmes, playgrounds and learning materials in rural areas.
The agreement is expected to deepen cooperation among government, UNICEF Botswana and private-sector tourism partners to improve the quality of early learning centres serving children in tourism-dependent communities. Priorities include strengthening training for caregivers and educators, enhancing child protection, supporting inclusive learning and increasing access to learning materials.
Kgafela-Mokoka said many early childhood centres supported by tourism enterprises in remote locations such as the Okavango Delta continue to face constraints, including limited resources and insufficient training. She said a four-day programme currently under way aims to equip practitioners with skills in nurturing care, play-based learning and national early childhood development standards.
The agreement is expected to deepen cooperation among government, UNICEF Botswana and private-sector tourism partners to improve the quality of early learning centres serving children in tourism-dependent communities. Priorities include strengthening training for caregivers and educators, enhancing child protection, supporting inclusive learning and increasing access to learning materials.
The programme also included a capacity-building workshop for tourism and hospitality stakeholders focused on quality assurance, curriculum implementation, play-based learning and the sustainable management of early childhood centres.
The initiative aligns with Botswana’s national early childhood development objectives by seeking to expand access to safe, stimulating and nurturing learning environments for children, including those in remote and underserved areas. It also underscores a broader shift within Botswana’s tourism industry towards linking business growth with community wellbeing and social investment.
