Nayang Association Botswana
Commonwealth Point of Light 169. Kagiso Madibana
Kagiso Madibana, representing Botswana, is the founder of 'Nayang Association', a charity which aims to reform the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in remote areas of Botswana.
One of its flagship programmes has been its ‘Soles for Souls’ project which has collected and donated more than 6000 pairs of school shoes to students living in remote communities, ensuring they are able to walk to school, even through winter, to continue their education. The charity also donates clothes, food and sanitary towels, reaching more than 3,000 pupils.
Sian Price, UK High Commissioner in Botswana, said:
“I’m delighted to recognise Kagiso’s exceptional work in supporting vulnerable communities through her organisation Nayang Association. To date, Kagiso’s organisation has donated school shoes, sanitary pads, clothing and toys to over 3,000 school pupils in remote areas across Botswana.
“Kagiso’s leadership and drive are commendable and a great example of a young Batswana giving back to society. Congratulations to Kagiso on this well-deserved recognition.”
Kagiso said:
“After the terrible time that most of us experienced during the Covid era of 2020, this has simply been the best news to date. I am so happy to be a recipient of this award, it has given me hope and encouragement to do even more work for my community. Having understood in the past the magnitude of what the Point of Light Award represents, I am beyond humbled. Thank you for recognizing the work that we do and bringing attention to the importance of community service. There is still a lot of work to be done and we will continue to do the best that we can.”