‘Streetwise’ nurse wins prestigious award in Australia

A committed local community service volunteer Direpang Segosebe won the prestigious loyal community service award in Australia at the University of Southern Queensland recently. Segosebe is a nurse by profession and employed by the District Health Management Team (DHMT). However she has dedicated all her life to volunteering her services to the needy, the youth and the elderly in Botswana. Speaking to the Midweek Sun this week, Segosebe said the award did not come as a surprise as the government once honored her for upholding the Vision 2016 pillar of compassionate, just and caring nation. In 2007 she was recognised for promoting the Vision pillar of an educated and informed nation. She took it upon herself that she teaches the elderly about health issues in the villages and at the post offices because she had seen a gap that they are not coming to the clinics for the free information. “I also uplifted the self-esteem of street children with a Christmas lunch in 2012, it was my project and the kids were open with me to an extent that they began sharing their struggles with me,” Segosebe said. She has gone an extra mile by advising them to visit the clinic and some of them even started taking medication. Segosebe explained that she wishes to close the stigmatisation in the public because people normally look down on street kids. ‘I get maximum satisfaction by giving back and volunteering my services to Botswana. I did my Bachelor’s Degree in nursing to broaden up my horizons. I have always volunteered my services to the country during my spare time and I will continue doing exactly that,” she said. She expressed gratitude to the University Of Southern Queensland, saying they paid all for her flight and accommodation expenses and treated her well in Australia.