When entering Bontleng, from the southeastern-most road, you find yourself passing the tall grass, wrought-iron covers, and headstones of a large cemetery. As the road curves to the left around the nearby Zion Christian Church compound, just before the three bars on the right, you find an open, dusty plot of land crisscrossed by a steady stream of pedestrians. On maps, this part of Gaborone, Botswana’s capital, is marked as a “green space,” although it’s decidedly brown. Industrious entrepreneurs have set up competing carwashes around its perimeter, where you can get your vehicle washed by hand and bucket. A middle-aged gentleman sits beside his wheelchair in the far corner under drooping shade netting, mending shoes. Local men converse under a Wait-a-Bit tree near the middle of the property.
Although Bontleng means “place of beauty” in Setswana, residents of the area have told us that there was recently a stabbing in this park as two men fought behind the bars one night. Many people have been robbed of their cell phones and money while crossing through Bontleng at night. Most troubling, the neighbors claim that the remains of a child were found near an abandoned car a few years back. They suspect the sangomas (traditional doctors), who use parts of human bodies to make power charms. Politicians often seek this extra power to bring good luck during election season.
Day and night, children love to play on the metal playground equipment installed decades ago. But now, every swing is broken, with a few chains left hanging at awkward lengths. The jungle gym teeters dangerously. The slides are rusted with jagged holes. As the children grow into youth, they migrate from the playground to the bars.
Recently, we began a project in Bontleng that spent almost two years in the conception stage. We wrote up some proposals, made some sketches, got to know some people at Gaborone City Council and City Planning, and officially asked to be granted the use of some land. After nearly a year, the slow wheels of government bureaucracy issued us permission to redeem this sketchy park.
During Bible studies with youth, we have been learning to know and love God’s word. In learning this, we’ve been exploring how to enact God’s teachings, to serve in creative, loving, unexpected, un-expecting ways. The park in Bontleng has been the latest way in which our group is attempting to do that.
Given the love for football (soccer) in Botswana, as well as the lack of facilities, we thought we’d start there. There isn’t really any football development in Botswana, though on any given day of the week, there are people of all ages playing in alleyways, on streets, on hard-packed-dirt fields, and everywhere in between. Taryn and I, along with a group of young adults from Spiritual Healing Church and some youth from the surrounding area, are building Botswana’s first futsal court. Futsal is five-to-a-side football, fast-paced, skill-developing, and fun to watch. It is played on a surface about the size of a basketball court. We’re hoping to use a safe hard synthetic surface that will also last for decades.
Former English Premier League footballer, Peter Butler, is the new coach of Botswana’s beloved national football squad, the Diamond Zebras. Butler is already a Botswana favorite as he’s helped to reshape the Zebras from losing with defensive-minded play into a winning, attacking team. Coach Butler, a huge proponent of community service and grassroots football development, has expressed his support for this project, and gave us his official endorsement to show to the businesses, which we are approaching for sponsorships. He intends to bring out the national team for the eventual launching event. Even better, he is interested in helping to provide the training for the program we intend to establish for kids and youth once the court is in place.
Our team is also rebuilding the children’s beloved playground, recycling, repairing and repainting the pieces that can be salvaged, and building new structures of our own designs. We’re also installing a kgotla, or meeting place, for elders and crafting our own homemade Muskoka chairs from recycled wood.
Our team wants to make the whole place interactive and profitable for the community by:
- Creating a recycling center (rare in Gaborone) to generate income for maintenance and security.
- Attracting local small businesses by building stalls (carpenters making furniture from recycled wood, locally made T-shirts and hoodies, food vendors, crafts, etc.).
If things work well, our hope is that this project may be replicated in communities throughout the city, and that we will be able to inspire other youth from the many churches across the country to be a blessing in the name of Jesus in similar ways.
The beauty of a place like Bontleng is reflected in those who meet here, who envision more in the land and in the people around them. When Jesus-loving individuals come together to serve their neighbors, there is a reality to the words of Jesus (Matthew 5:14-16): “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put in under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” The darkness of the park that allows weak individuals to target strangers and neighbors alike with violence and fear is no match for the light of Jesus, reflected by God’s people in Gaborone. Please pray that this project would see God’s people come together in unity to be a blessing to their neighbors, and that others would be inspired to do the same.
