Anglicans to tackle sexual abuse and dementia

The Anglican Diocese of Botswana will host the annual Wellness Festival at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross this coming Saturday, 21 October from 6am until lunch time. The festival, which starts with a 15km walk, is held annually in order to encourage the congregants and members of the public to prioritise good health and link it with Christian life.

The event, held under theme Total Health and Love in Action, is cemented on Bible verse Romans 12 verse 9-12, and will also include discussions on Physical and Sexual Abuse in Children; Detection and Intervention as well as Love for the Elderly in Changing Botswana and Dementia. According to the secretary of the Anglican Church wellness committee Sharon Munyoro, the church found it relevant to discuss Dementia because it is a huge challenge in modern Botswana but not discussed as often as it should be.

“A lot of elderly people are lonely because they are sidelined, misunderstood or ill treated. Sometimes we lose patience with them or make them feel useless, which leads to depression. We seem to think that old people cannot suffer depression but some do. We need to embrace and support them during this time in their lives,” she said. Dementia is a general term for conditions that relate to the decline of mental ability to the point that it interferes with daily life. Munyoro also explained that they chose to touch on sexual abuse because it is another challenge in Botswana society.

“Most people are uncomfortable with talking about this subject but it is real. We noticed that some people don’t know how to notice the signs, so this is what our experts will be engaging the audience on,” she said. Munyongo also said that they have invited several health stakeholders including Diagnofirm and Tebelopele for the free health screening slated for next week Sunday at the church (both 7.30am and 10am services) that would coincide with a visit from guest preacher Apostle Baile.