Dumelang, my name is Andy Moithuti Batlhophi. I’m a 23 year old Motswana and here’s my profile.
My name ‘Moithuti’ was given to me in loving memory of the 1st born male child in our family. Moithuti means ‘learner’. The interesting thing is that over the years, my personality has increasingly evolved to reflect this. I love research and finding out about the latest developments across the world.
I currently work as a Business Development Manager for Boswa Energy. Boswa Energy is a local energy company, which deals with bulk fuel supply services, power generation and gas supply. My Business Development portfolio entails commercialising the ideas relayed by the board of directors as well with formulating and implementing the business strategies.
I would say I’m an ambitious young man who has a dream of seeing a United States of Africa. I am also a ‘community developer’ because I’m passionate about the upliftment of communities with the view to improving the standard of living of the people. To that end, over the years I’ve worked on a number of community outreach programs. Many of those included public speaking, which I guess makes me a skilled public speaker.
My colleagues and mentees usually describe me as both serious and loving. Those who know me will tell you I’m always punctual, always on time for all appointments. They’d also tell you that I’m a deep thinker, always devising strategies for various scenarios.
I have two main hobbies, really. I absolutely love dancing to house music. Besides that, I enjoy a good football game with friends from my church.
1 year from now, I’d like to have travelled to at least two continents. I also aspire to establish a lucrative company here in Botswana with a reach as far as Asia, from where I’d import my products. One thing I’m certain of is that I’ll be married by 2019.
My Background…
I come from Takatokwane, a small village in the Kweneng District. Nothing much happens there. The nearest town to my village is Molepolole. I currently live in an area of Gaborone called Block 10.
Takatokwane is a sleepy village like most other villages within the Kgalagadi region. It has very few modern developments such as a primary school, a junior high school as well as a senior school. There are reportedly some mining developments geared towards the area in the next few years. No doubt, that will bring developments and much – needed jobs to the village.
Block 10, just outside of the capital city, Gaborone is much more developed than Takatokwane. My village has very few developments and the pace of life is a lot slower, nothing of significance goes on in the village. By contrast, living in Gaborone presents me with the opportunity to improve my life and enhance my intellect. In my opinion, living in the city broadens and enriches my mind, and there are plenty of platforms through which to elevate my social status. Being young and living in the city, I challenge myself to envision a bigger and better future for myself.
Growing up in Botswana was fantastic! In all honesty, I genuinely believe growing up in Botswana is a blessing. Last year I travelled to the gorgeous city of Cape Town in neighbouring South Africa, but the fact that I experienced racism for the very first time in my life, took the spark right off my experience! It was shocking because Batswana are loving, respectful and tolerant. Such attributes explain why Botswana is famed for being a harmonious and peaceful country and I’m thankful to all those who laboured for this gift. The experience really opened my eyes to how lucky I am to come from Botswana.
The person who inspires me the most is my mentor, who is also my pastor, Pastor BF Rams. He’s also a Life Coach and skilled public speaker. What’s interesting is that I only met him three short years ago, in 2014. His teachings have shaped my life and made me into who I am today. Before I met him, I was a totally different person, a first class party animal who had to just party up a storm every single weekend. My life post – Pastor Rams is more meaningful. He inspires me every day to continually become the best version of myself.
Given the fact that I’m a staunch Christian, some people will be shocked to hear that I can dance. Some are shocked to learn I used to drink, smoke and party a lot. I truly turned my life around. My life honestly took a turn for the better when I started subscribing to the mentorship of Pastor Rams. He is very strict when it comes to how Christians should live and conduct themselves.
My greatest achievement so far would have to be my appointment as the Principal Coordinator of the World Youth Academy. The World Youth Academy is an institution that aims to advance knowledge and expertise as well as to promote productivity in young people by offering academic programs in all fields of leadership and service, including but not limited to:
- Good leadership and responsible governance;
- Peace and diplomacy;
- Trade and entrepreneurship;
- Human rights and activism;
- Marketing and communication
This year the World Youth Academy Summer Camp will be hosted by the Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, from the 21-27 August 2017.
Botswana…
I’m proud to be Motswana because of the value we attach to respect and honour. My culture promotes the idea of self-respect, not bringing my country, community or parents into disrepute. It also emphasises the importance of respecting others, respecting the elderly and mutual respect in general. Batswana are big on respect and the spirit of botho, being courteous to others around you. I really like that.
For instance, we regard greetings as a mark of respect and wherever you go, people greet each other. I interviewed some American exchange students for a radio program, which aired on Duma FM, and when I asked them what they liked about Botswana, a lot of them said the culture of greeting! I was blown away.
I would say the thing that makes Botswana such a wonderful country is its unique, God-given, natural beauty. A very popular holiday destination, Botswana is blessed with abundant wildlife, beautiful landscapes, fascinating birds and magical sunsets, among others.
If I could change anything about Botswana, I would instil the element of ‘global relevance’ in our politicians. Whether we like it or not, our leaders need to move with the times to keep up with the developed world. Our education systems are still largely theoretical, the government is still the largest employer, and young people are still not seated in parliamentary positions. Change the leaders and the nation will follow. Imagine what we could achieve if we adopted the Dubai approach to bringing in investors? The VISA restrictions in Botswana are not investor friendly. Neither are the land ownership policies.
I need to get out more and experience Botswana! I once stayed in Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta and Botswana’s tourism capital, for a few days and loved it. I had an amazing time there courtesy of the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) Botswana. UNFPA is a lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
We had a fantastic time campaigning for healthy living. It was all expenses paid and we had a lot of fun seeing the town. I would love to go back to explore Maun a bit more. I would love to visit the Okavango Delta. It would be great to experience it on a boat as well as to fly over it. The Okavango Delta is listed as the 1000th Heritage site by UNESCO, so it’s well worth a visit.
I would like to travel to most African countries. I’m keen on the idea of a United Africa. From Sudan to Cameroon, to Egypt and Gabon, I would walk those streets in my quest to discover what it would take to unite us all.
Do I have a favourite traditional meal? It’s not really traditional but I love dumplings. I also Love Motogo wa Phaletse, basically soft porridge.
Botswana celebrated 50 years of independence last year, going forward I hope Botswana achieves further development! Our television station must be upgraded, our national stadium must be revamped, and our education system must be revised. We need development in everything we are doing now.
YourBotswana…
I first came across YourBotswana through Instagram. My first impression of the website is that it’s very good; clean and informative. I enjoyed the news section the most because I like to know what’s going on in Botswana. I wanted to share my profile because I want to share a bit of my story. This is a credible tool, which will reach many countries worldwide, so I wanted to be a part of it.
Although the website is great, I would like it to please stay focused on showing the good side of Botswana online, not just the animals but also the people. People shouldn’t see Botswana as just bush. We have schools, cars, and hospitals; and have decent lives here. Please continue finding ways of including that. Otherwise, great job.
Thanks for reading my profile.
