News Date : 17 June, 2025
A Life-Changing Day in Shakawe!
Today marked a powerful milestone in community empowerment as Professor Ketlhatlogile Mosepele, Vice Chancellor of the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), joined His Excellency Ahmet Idem Akay, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye, for the official handover of tractors and agricultural equipment to small-scale horticulture farmers in Shakawe. This handover forms part of the project: “Empowering Small-Scale Horticulture Farmers through Climate-Resilient Practices and Equipment”, spearheaded by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (T?KA) in collaboration with BUAN.
T?KA contributed approximately P318,000.00, including: Four tractors, each valued at P67,800.00, disc ploughs, planters, rotavapors, and toolboxes – essential tools to build climate-smart productive farms. In addition, BUAN, through its Centre for In-Service and Continuing Education (CICE), contributed horticultural training to 52 local farmers, worth over P200,000.00, covering everything from cropping plans and budgeting to climate-resilient production of potatoes, cabbages, and tomatoes.
Prof. Mosepele emphasized in his keynote address that this was not just a handover. “We are practicing what we preach as a university, helping communities build climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods.”This initiative directly supports 7 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Zero Hunger, Climate Action, and Decent Work & Economic Growth. With projects like:
• The Mongongo nut oil project in Shaikarawe
• The upcoming EcoRanger programme to uplift livestock farmers
• The National Ecosystem Assessment across the Okavango region
Kgosi Lekgowa Lekgowa of Shakawe expressed his gratitude to BUAN and TIKA for making the day possible. He encouraged the farmers to utilize the knowledge they gained from BUAN and the tractors to improve their farming and lives. “Let’s continue building a resilient, food-secure, and sustainable Botswana — together”, he said in conclusion