Place of Blessings

Designed and built by students of the Queensland University of Technology and Naledi, Place of Blessings opened in 2015 and has since cared for around 40 children per year in Thamaga. Thamaga is a large village located in the Kweneng District of Botswana and about 40 km west of the capital city, Gaborone. Place of Blessings was designed with an emphasis on sustainability (environmentally, financially and socially). Among the sustainable techniques incorporated were:

Energy efficient lighting
Soil block construction
Incorporation of waste materials in construction (e.g. tyres, roof sheeting, wash basins)
A commercial bakery for financial sustainability.
The project was also developed in close consultation with local community leaders and social workers.

Like the other centers, the objects of Place of Blessings are:

To provide skills training
To provide pre-school education
To provide recreational services to the children to reduce the risk of them roaming the streets
Provide a reading place including materials for them, especially books and literature on character building and other education subjects
To provide meals on a daily basis and clothing and toiletries as needed to vulnerable children
To provide a counselling services for vulnerable children
To provide information, educational and spiritual support to the children and their guardians