BOTHO. It is a word I have heard so many times since coming to Botswana 20 years ago. For those of you who don’t know the word, it seems it is difficult to get one answer, but it seems to embody basic compassion and community. Ashley Thaba When a nation has botho, people think about how their actions impact others and act in a selfless kindness to help their neighbour. Although I have heard it spoken about for decades, to be honest, I rarely see it played out in reality. Generally, neighbours stay behind their huge concrete walls and electric fences sometimes not even knowing each other and certainly not selflessly serving one another. In business, the norm seems to be a cut-throat style in which you are never too sure who you can trust because everyone is trying to get ahead no matter what the cost. Corruption flourishes as people don’t consider the harmful implications on society when they unethically and illegally line their pockets. Sometimes, to be honest, it can be depressing to see how little on a day-to-day basis we actually do consider others when we go about our day. That is why this past week, words can’t contain the excitement I felt when I saw this principle played out before my eyes in the exact utopian way it has always been described to me. Back in August, the Chief of Rakops invited my husband and I to come to his village and teach the healthy family principles we taught in our marriage show, Talking with the Thabas. Positive testimonies abounded in the village with those who watched the show and read the book we wrote which explained everything from the show in detail. With Boteti region leading in cases of domestic abuse, they realised that an effective tool to fight gender-based violence (GBV) was to teach people in detail and with very practical examples what a healthy family should look like. The campaign to teach these principles has finally been set for March 8 to 25. The ink had barely dried on the paper where we confirmed the date when my phone started to ring! Youth who are not working were saying “Can you train us to go and teach? We want to be of service and we want to help others.” One lady, a director in her company, said: “I have asked the other two directors if they can cover my load so I can go the 18 days and teach healthy family principles and share God’s wonderful plan of love in some of these homes where violence and hatred persist.” I have never even met the lady. I was blown away that someone would leave work to go and serve and love others she has never met. Botho! Another friend of mine from a weekly Bible study my hubby and I lead said she wanted to help fight GBV and play her part in strengthening families. She volunteered to sponsor three youths who wanted to go but couldn’t afford the trip. Botho! A corporate came on board and said they would donate prizes to incentivise people in the village to come to the 13 days of training. The idea is we tell people, “If you come to all 13 days, your name will be entered into a draw to win….” We are doing this hoping to have the plat