Day Five became Youth Day for our delegation. It began with a reminder of the statistic that nearly 50% of the people who live in Botswana are under the age of 15. As a result, the government of Botswana has invested and directed a large percentage of its resources for health and human services to youth programs and development. Very innovative programs have been developed which target youth with clear and specific messages about health, life choices, and social well-being. Among the messages is prevention of HIV. We visited two programs focused on young people: the Nkaikela Youth Program candle making project, which is dedicated to the rehabilitation of young girls who may have been involved in illicit sexual contact (sex workers) and Makgabeneng, a radio program that focuses on prevention of HIV through the use of “prevention ABCs.”

The Nkaikela program is housed in a cinderblock house with a high fence around the property. On arrival we were greeted by Beauty, a young social worker who had recently become the principal staff person at the program. Inside the house there were four girls making candles to sell. All of the young women were previously involved in sex work. The women do not live there, they work there. The program is not a shelter—it is a micro-enterprise for women who want to earn an income other than by living on the street. The women are encouraged to use the money they earn to return to their families or to get an apartment and establish themselves independently.