BUS FOR SENIOR CENTER
Maun is the fifth-largest city in Botswana and a tourist hub with around 60,000 inhabitants. Due to the current Covid situation, it is no longer possible to provide older people in the senior center with food, medicine, or care. Therefore, it is even more important that we ensure transportation for staff to the homes of the elderly with the bus.
Specifically, it is about the maintenance costs of a transport bus for the elderly in Maun. However, we want to ensure not just a one-time purchase of the bus but also the long-term realization of transportation. Therefore, we have included coverage of expenses for the next 3 years in the costs. This allows the senior center to sustainably ensure their support such as food & care, transportation to the village & to the doctor, activation services, etc.
The donation money will cover the following costs:
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annual insurance costs
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annual service repairs
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annual tires
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salary for the driver
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fuel costs
With the bus, we can ensure the transportation options and needs of the elderly. Thanks to the bus, we can care for a community of up to 90 people.
The project aims to do something for the disadvantaged elderly in Maun. It is important that they feel special and can live the rest of their years with dignity. We want to achieve this by ensuring that these older souls are not forgotten and are properly nourished, clothed, valued, and loved.
Deeply rooted in Botswana culture, the traditional African family structure is self-sufficient, with the young and old cared for by middle-aged individuals. It is no secret that HIV/AIDS has disrupted the continuity of such structures, as the disease primarily affects the middle-aged. Many families have lost their breadwinners, leaving behind old and young people with no real support.
Botswana serves as an incredible example for other countries, with a pension system for its citizens and monthly food baskets for the impoverished. Despite these efforts, social security within the country is still insufficient and the aid available does not always reach the intended target group. Many people in Maun have to walk long distances to get basic necessities, such as firewood to cook meals and heat water. This is impossible for many older people, leaving them unable to support themselves and making them dependent family members. They are unable to clean the house, do the laundry by hand, or fix the many leaks in the roof.