Agility key component in Red Cross next five-year plan
Source : Kutlwano
Author : Idah Basimane
Location : Gaborone
Event : Interview
It is a volunteer-led, independent global humanitarian network that helps those facing disaster, conflict, health and social challenges.
Red Cross Society acts as an auxiliary to public authorities in respective host countries, focusing on social services.
Its a web that promotes mutual understanding of the local community, focusing on philanthropic friendship, cooperation and lasting peace among all peoples.
More to that, it is a legally mandated mesh assisting body, that provides emergency to vulnerable people, regardless of their race, religion, or political deportment.
The description clearly depicts those ones of the Red Cross Societies. The olden times articulate, The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was founded in February 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland. This led to the adoption of the original first Geneva Convention in 1864.
Until the middle of the nineteenth century, there were no organized or well-established army nursing systems for casualties. The notion is here is that, there were no safe or protected institutions, to accommodate and treat those who were wounded from war zones.
As such the movement was established to protect and assist victims, wounded from conflicts resulting in wars specifically. They are part of the world wide volunteers-based humanitarian organization, aimed at alleviating human suffering. These independent, neutral, and impartial organizations act as auxiliaries to their governments in disaster management, health services, and social care for vulnerable communities.
Their primary goal is to provide relief to disaster survivors, provide first aid training, educate on disease prevention, and support vulnerable people during both peace and wartimes.
Their global network is (IFRC) The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, of all affiliates. The Federation coordinates about 192 countries and the (ICRC) International Committee of Red Cross.
Though the Societies are independent in their own nations, they work alongside with the mother body IFRC. They are guided by principles of neutrality, not taking sides in hostilities, to maintain trust. They rely on volunteers to provide crucial services, ensuring they can operate locally across their respective countries. The Botswana Red Cross Society, branch was then established in 1948 a branch of the British Red Cross. On the 1st March 1968, the BRCS was formally established as a National Society by an Act of Parliament backed by the government of Botswana.
In recent episodes in Botswana the Society embarked upon a five year strategic plan which commenced in 2020 ending 2025. The society prides itself to have achieved its mission of the plan which include three key objectives: To be an organisation of choice for monetary and assistance, To be a resource centred of strategic policies where all data on humanitarian community issues is found, lastly, they wanted to be sustainable in delivering humanitarian services.
So whatever strategy the institution has it should align with the global strategy of the IFRC. Further they succeeded during the time of COVID-19 in strengthening disaster preparedness and responses operations which they did also during the time of floods, diseases out break and drought. On other indispensable duties they managed to scaled up Community Health Volunteer networks, integrating first aid, hygiene promotion, and epidemic control in schools and communities. They also buttressed the blood donation drives, the HIV, No Tobacco program and mental health awareness programmes in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The efforts which they carried relentlessly.More on the five year strategy, the institution reached over hundred thousand vulnerable people with lifesaving assistance. They too have supported community risk based management and climate smart Agriculture by building resilient climate challenges. Further, the success has also been realised on issues of health and social services by vaccination support and social care which they did nationally.
In addition, they managed to strengthen governance and accountability and prior to that, engaged in Organisational Assessment Process (OCAC) done by IFRC. This is to evaluate their strength and weakness and in order to align with international standards.
On the challenges, the society has encountered so far donor fatigue over the years. Red Cross depends mostly on donor funding. As a middle income country Botswana has less donor that can assist them to achieve their mandate. Many countries assume Botswana can self-fund its activities leading to reduced aid.
The society is a success in achieving its vision or mandate when envisioning the previous years in serving the communities. One can measure their progress through the lives they supported.
As an auxiliary to the Government of Botswana, the society complement national efforts while remaining guided by the Fundamental Principles of the Movement.
This put emphasis on the notion that their work always centers on humanity, impartiality, and dignity. The Botswana arm‘s vision, simply put is about being present in people’s most difficult moments. While there is always more to be done, the arm remain committed to continuously strengthening, impacting and reaching even more communities in need.
Looking at its entangled angles of success, the Society has cultivated strong collaborations with a diverse range of partners to enhance its humanitarian power. Key partners include: Government Ministries, National Disaster Management Office, The National Blood Transfusion Service, District Multi-Sectoral AIDS Committees, Gender Committees. UNICEF, (UNDP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC,) Academic and Electoral Institutions, Funding and Development Partners just to mention a few.
The Botswana Red Cross Society Chief Executive Dr Kutlwano Mukokomani singles government of Botswana as the first very supportive entity of the Botswana Red Cross Society’s efforts in assisting vulnerable communities.
They remain committed to augmenting government initiatives by reaching those most in need with timely, impartial, and life-saving assistance, he pointed out.
He called upon potential donors to stand with them in their journey to save life’s, saying their continued generosity enables them to expand, reach and respond effectively to emerging humanitarian needs.
The organization, he notes is aligned to Botswana’s first Pillar of Vision 2036 of Sustainable Economic Development, contributing, strengthening community resilience and reducing the economic costs of illness, injury and disability.
He further says through health, physiotherapy and rehabilitation services, it supports vulnerable people to live productive, dignified lives.
Through First Aid training, it builds a safer and more efficient workforce and through community-based health interventions, it supports the primary health care mandate and reduces pressure on the public health system, freeing national resources for broader development priorities.
A healthy, productive population is the foundation of any thriving economy, he said.
Deliberating the future plans he observes changes that have clouded the world such as unstable economic issues and increased conflicts, saying as such they should work to improve on their artificial intelligence.
“We released that when we go gout in times of disasters we need technology to do assessment.I think speed or efficiency is very key in moving forward in the next five years,” he notes. One vital point in place, he reveals, is that they need to look at their agility in delivering their work.
He is adamant Botswana Red Cross Society is uniquely and powerfully positioned to embrace both the second pillar of Human and Social Development and the fourth pillar of Governance, Peace and Security.
“This positioning is deeply rooted in our mandate, our history and our place within the global Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Human and Social Development at the heart of our work is a commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable members of society,” Mukokomani explains. As humanitarians, they carry the vision of human and social development mandate into every community they serve across Botswana. Their programmes directly advance the vision of an inclusive, healthy and socially empowered Botswana. This contribution, he adds, ensures that the democratic process is conducted safely and that citizens can exercise their right to vote without fear of health or safety risks. In doing so, they contribute directly to the transparent, peaceful and participatory democratic governance that Vision 2036 envisions for Botswana. ENDS
