As part of its annual outreach programmes, the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Corps of Engineers Section, last week set a milestone as it donated 35 benches to Mathangwane Post Office to try and provide seats for pensioners when they seek services from the post office.
Briefing the residents of Mathangwane Village during the handing over ceremony, Brigadier Anderson Matlho of the BDF said that, as soldiers, they care about the disadvantaged members of the community. He said that they have always partnered with Botswana Post to help the needy and the disadvantaged in different communities.
“We have always worked in partnership with Botswana Post in such initiatives to try and help the disadvantaged, especially the elderly people for almost five years,” he said.
Corps Engineers is a section of the BDF, which comprises of Civil Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Carpenters, Electricians and Plumbers.
He said that after identifying the need for seats at the Post Office, they hatched an idea to manufacture the benches to relieve the pensioners from prolonged standing in the long queues.
He also said such an initiative by the BDF is in line with the Vision 2016 pillar of a “compassionate and caring nation”.
“We have engaged in similar initiatives before in several villages where we also donated benches to the post office in the village,” he said.
Giving his remarks the Head of Retail at Botswana Post, Kabelo Ntobedzi, lauded the BDF for working with Botswana Post in their charity gesture. He said that, as Botswana Post, they have challenges, among them shortage of staff, and added that such a shortcoming leads to long queues in their offices.
“The charity gesture by the BDF Corps Engineers is a very important move as we have shortage of staff in our offices. Standing in a queue for a long period, especially by an elderly person, is bad,” he said.
Ntobedzi said that such a challenge will soon be overcome as Botswana Post has tapped into technology to improve its service delivery. He said that they will soon be introducing electronic cards, which will help their clients access their services everywhere around the country where they have an office.
