Ex-Addict Embarks on 1,000km Walk to Build Rehab Centre
At just 15, Kenneth Siele fell into alcohol and drug abuse, experiencing firsthand the devastating impact of addiction on mental health and crime. Now reformed, he is channelling his lived experience into a mission of hope and transformation.
On June 2, Siele will embark on The Walk for Change — a 1,000-kilometre solo journey from Maun to Kanye. Coordinated by the Kenneth & Evelyn Siele Trust, the campaign aims to raise funds for the construction of a rehabilitation centre in Kanye.
The 45-day walk will conclude on July 15 at the Kanye Main Kgotla. Along the way, Siele will engage communities through awareness campaigns, publicity drives, and fundraising appeals. He is calling on businesses and individuals to support the initiative, which he says represents healing and restoration for families affected by substance abuse. “This walk symbolises the isolation often experienced by those battling addictions, as well as the resilience required to overcome it. Recovery is possible, and personal sacrifice can inspire lasting change,” Siele said.
The Trust has a track record of impactful campaigns. In 2016, it organised a 2,000-kilometre cycling tour across Botswana to raise awareness about youth substance abuse, with proceeds funding a minibus for the Kgodisong Centre in Kanye.
Funds from the Walk for Change will establish the Kanye Centre for Addiction Counselling and Rehabilitation, offering professional counselling and structured programs. A defining feature will be an eight-hectare skills development farm, leased by Siele for ten years at no cost, to provide training in crop production and animal husbandry.
The farm, equipped with a borehole supplying nine cubic meters of water per hour, will also host discipline and boot camps. Training will be delivered in collaboration with the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture extension officers.
Siele says the initiative will equip rehabilitated individuals with sustainable livelihood skills, ensuring successful reintegration into society.