PMC in Botswana

Botswana is a country slightly larger than Kenya with a population of about 2 million, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Botswana gained independence from Britain in 1966. At that time, it was one of the poorest countries in Africa, but now purchasing power for its population is among the fastest growing in the world. It is considered one of Africa’s most stable countries with a modest standard of living.

Although Botswana has simultaneously made huge strides in health and human rights, such as access to education, Botswana does still struggle particularly with malnutrition and AIDS/HIV. Approximately one quarter of children under five are stunted (25.9%) and adults have HIV/AIDS (21.9%). The two are related. Botswana has more than 50,000 orphans, many of whom have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. It’s estimated that 8.5 percent of children are involved in some form of child labor, often because of parents’ deaths or families having difficulty being able to feed their children.