Counseling in Botswana
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Running head: COUNSELING IN BOTSWANA
The Development of Professional Counseling in Botswana
Rex Stockton
Indiana University
Amy Nitza
Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne
Dan-Bush Bhusumane
University of Botswana
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Abstract
Among African countries to achieve independence beginning in the 1960’s,
Botswana stands out as a country that has been able to achieve lasting political
and economic stability. These accomplishments have enabled the government
to develop a strong system of educational and social services to its people. The
development of professional counseling in the country has occurred both through
targeted efforts to provide a strong system of guidance services in schools, as
well as in response to the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDs epidemic. This
article reviews the development of professional counseling in the country, and
highlight several trends likely to shape its future.
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The Development of Professional Counseling in Botswana
After decades of colonial rule by Europeans, many countries in Africa
gained independence beginning in the 1960s. Since that time, many of these
countries have struggled to develop political and economic stability. In much of
the continent, that struggle persists today. War, corruption, poverty, and disease
continue to have a devastating impact, and create major obstacles to stability
and peace. Despite these damaging threats to the health and well being of its
people, health services are often poorly funded in many parts of the continent.
Mental health services have often been given particularly low priority and are
thus often poorly developed (Okasha, 2002).
Among the countries to achieve independence in the 1960s, Botswana
stands out as a country that has been able to achieve both political stability and
very strong economic growth. As a result of this political and economic stability,
the government of Botswana has been able to develop and provide a relatively
thorough system of education and social services for its people. One important
aspect of this success has been the development of the counseling profession in
the country. This article will review the development and current status of
counseling in Botswana, as well as highlight future trends and challenges facing
the profession there in coming years.
History of Botswana
After nearly 80 years as a British protectorate, Botswana achieved
independence in1966. Unlike many of the countries in Africa following
independence, Botswana was not overwhelmingly impacted by corruption or a
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political rise of their military forces. This has resulted in Botswana developing
one of the most stable governments in all of Africa; since independence,
Botswana has maintained four decades of uninterrupted democratic civilian
leadership (United States Central Intelligence Agency, 2006).
In addition to political stability, Botswana has maintained strong economic
growth since independence as well. While originally the economy was based on
cattle, the discovery of diamonds near Orapa in 1967 resulted in the
development of a mining industry that quickly transformed the Botswana
economy. According to the U.S. Department of State, Botswana has had the
fastest growth in per capita income in the world since its independence (2006).
The political stability and economic growth of the country have allowed the
government to develop and provide an infrastructure of social services to its
people that many other African countries have not yet been able to achieve. In
the area of healthcare, there has been an extensive build-up of facilities and
services in the smaller villages and rural areas as well as in the rapidly growing
urban areas (Parsons, 1999). An emphasis on education in the country since
independence has been significant at all levels; the government’s stated goal of a
free 10 years of education for its entire people has been largely realized.
The emphasis on education has taken place at the level of higher
education as well. A university was developed in cooperation with the countries
of Lesotho and Swaziland; this university was originally housed in Lesotho. A
campus in the Botswana capital of Gaborone was established in 1970, which
became the University of Botswana in 1982. In addition to the University, a
Counseling in Botswana
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number of other post-secondary educational opportunities have been developed
in the country. Basic teacher training in Botswana takes place in teacher training
colleges, while advanced teacher training takes place at the University.
Additionally, after much planning and development work, a Masters degree in
Counseling and Human Services is now being offered at the University, and a
few doctoral level courses are available to a small number of students each year.
The Development of the Counseling Profession
The history of the development of counseling in Botswana mirrors that of
the history of the country itself since gaining independence, and has come as a
result of several factors. The rapid social and economic changes that occurred in
the country following independence brought with them an evolving set of
changes in the lives of Batswana, and a corresponding need for services and
structures to address these changes. As noted by Navin (1992), the positive
changes associated with the transition of Botswana into a modern society also
brought with them a number of serious social challenges more common in
modern societies, including increased rates of unemployment, crime, teenage
pregnancy, and substance abuse, among others. Additionally, as in many other
parts of Africa, the increased urbanization of the society has slowly resulted in a
breakdown of the extended family system of support, and a need for an
organized support system to meet the needs traditionally met through the
extended family (Bhusumane, Maphorisa, Motswaledi, & Nyati, 1990; Okasha,
2002).
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A crucial factor in the development of counseling in the country was the
need for career guidance services for students. One important aspect of the goal
of education in the country since independence has been the development of
human resources to meet the needs of the expanding economy. A program of
career guidance thus became an important component of education from early
on.
Initial efforts to provide career guidance information to students in
secondary schools in Botswana date back to 1963, when a workshop was held to
train a selected group of secondary school teachers in career guidance.
Following the workshop, a system for the provision of these services was
implemented in which “careers masters/mistresses” were designated and
assigned to each secondary school to provide career information (Republic of
Botswana Ministry of Education,1996; Navin, 1992).
While this emphasis on career guidance continued, efforts were gradually
undertaken to develop a more comprehensive program of guidance and
counseling in the schools. In 1985, a policy direction seminar attended by senior
officials in government recommended that the career guidance services should
be expanded to include social, educational, and personal needs of learners. This
was followed by a consultancy (recommended by the seminar) to identify the
needs for guidance and counseling at the different levels of education. The
consultant, Dr. Sally Navin, recommended among other things that there should
be an officer responsible for guidance services within the Ministry of Education,
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and that a staff member within the Faculty of Education at the University be
trained to offer courses in counseling.
This recommendation to make counselor training available at the
University was an important one; at the time of the recommendations, there was
very little pre-service training available in guidance and counseling. Early on, the
guidance and counseling program was delivered by teacher- counselors (Rollin &
Witmer, 1992). who either volunteered or were selected for these roles.
Teacher-counselors were subject teachers who also took on guidance
counseling duties, often without any release time or compensation for doing so,
and almost always with no training. Thus, there was a need for the development
of a comprehensive program of in-service training for practicing teacher-
counselors, in addition to comprehensive pre-service training programs in
guidance and counseling.
Since the 1985 seminar, the call for the expansion of counseling services
beyond career guidance has been reflected in many other government planning
documents, including the Revised National Policy on Education in 1994
(Republic of Botswana Ministry of Education, 1994). In this way, counseling has
become a part of the overall national development plan, representing a major
step forward in the development of the profession.
Another important milestone in the development of counseling in the
country was the creation of a counseling center at the University of Botswana.
Recognizing the need for a continuation of services provided by the guidance
and counseling program beyond secondary school, a proposal for, and feasibility
Counseling in Botswana
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study of, the development of a university counseling center was undertaken in
1988 (Navin, 1992). With findings of strong support for the development of a
counseling center, and a need for the services it would provide, the University of
Botswana established the Careers and Counselling Centre in 1993 (C. Tidimane,
personal communication, December 13, 2006).
While the development of counseling in the schools has been significant in
schools (with the support of the government) since 1963, it wasn’t until the 1990s
that a focus on mental health issues outside the education system took hold, due
in large part to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the country. With the
highest infection rate anywhere in the world at 37% of the adult population,
Botswana has been hit particularly hard by the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan
Africa, and the impact of this disease on the country cannot be overemphasized.
It is estimated that by the year 2010, 21.6% of all children in Botswana will be
orphans (UNAIDS/WHO, 2003). This epidemic has and will continue to create a
host of social problems in the country, as well as a need for services including
counseling to address them.
In response to this major epidemic, counseling centers and agencies
sponsored by non-governmental organizations began to provide counseling
services. These services were often directly linked to HIV/AIDS issues, such as
pre-anti retroviral therapy counseling. Mental health counseling was thus
originally linked closely to health-care settings, and the recognition of the broader
value of counseling is an issue of ongoing importance to the professionalization
of the field.
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As with school guidance and counseling, the need for mental health
counseling services developed more quickly than did a mechanism for training
service providers, thus many of those working as counselors have limited
training. With only one university offering a counselor training program, and the
high cost of training professionals abroad, training needs remain an important
ongoing issue for the professionalization of counseling in the country as well.
Current Status of Counseling in Botswana
While it originated from needs in educational and health-care settings,
counseling in Botswana is evolving into a fully developed profession, and is
taking place in an increasing number of settings. While many mental health
counseling services are still specific to HIV/AIDS issues, general counseling
services are increasingly being offered through government ministries and
community agencies, non-governmental organizations, prisons, churches, and
private agencies. Not all of these services are being provided by professional
counselors. In many rural areas of the country, psychiatric nurses may be more
readily available to provide mental health services than are professional
counselors (Wankiri, 1994). In other cases paraprofessionals are providing
counseling; however, services are increasingly being provided by professional
counselors (H. Mokgolodi, personal communication, January 15, 2007).
An important step forward has been the development of the Botswana
Counselling Association (BCA), one of the three counselor associations in
Botswana which was formally launched on June 26, 2004. BCA provides a
forum for counselors to discuss ideas and develop strategies for meeting the
Counseling in Botswana
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many challenges and diverse needs of the country. Involvement in the
association during this initial year included participants from the Counselling Unit
of the School of Education at the University, the University Careers and
Counselling Centre, all six teacher training colleges, several departments from
the Ministry of Education, and a handful of private counseling services and not-
for-profit agencies. The association welcomes membership from professionals
including counselors, clinical psychologists, and social workers, as well as
involvement from interested companies, educational, industrial, and business
organizations. The organization currently has over 100 members (J. A.
Muchado, personal communication, December 14, 2006).
The school guidance and counseling program also continues to develop.
The Ministry of Education is responsible for monitoring and supervision of
guidance and counseling services in schools; it also provides inservice training
for school counselors and guidance teachers. The Ministry has made notable
efforts to integrate a systematic program of guidance and counseling into the
curriculum at the primary and secondary levels. A comprehensive guidance and
counseling curriculum to guide and systematize program implementation by
individual schools and teachers was published by the Ministry of Education in
2002.
These national curriculum guidelines and timetables for guidance lessons
are a unique aspect of counseling services in Botswana. The curriculum guide
reflects the guiding rationale for and philosophy of the program. According to the
guide “The Guidance and Counselling Programme is meant to prepare each
Counseling in Botswana
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Motswana for an active role in the nation’s economic and social development”
(Republic of Botswana Ministry of Education, 2002, p. VIII). The rationale for the
guidance and counseling program in the schools includes the concept that the
provision of these services “are a continuation of the traditional processes by
which the young learnt from the wisdom and experience of their elders” (Republic
of Botswana Ministry of Education p. IX).
Both the Ministry of Education and the University are aware of the
challenges counselors in the country, and much effort has gone in to addressing
them. One of these efforts has been the development of a systematic program of
in-service counseling training for teachers who take on the role of guidance
counselors. A recent in-service training in group counseling recently conducted
by the authors was an early part of this program. This training workshop was
attended by 17 guidance and counseling teachers from across the country, as
described by Terry, Stockton, & Nitza (2007). This workshop was geared toward
those from the more remote areas of the country who are more likely to have
limited counseling training as well as fewer opportunities available to obtain such
training. In discussing the challenges facing them in their guidance and
counseling roles, participants reported issues that would likely resonate with
counselors in the US and other countries. For example, guidance and counseling
services are in some schools not given much attention or value by the staff; they
also noted that it can often be difficult to garner support for activities not covered
on student exams. In addition, workshop participants also described ongoing
difficulties and the need for more training in dealing with many of the social
Counseling in Botswana
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problems facing their schools, including the number of HIV/AIDS orphans and the
secrecy and stigma still surrounding the disease in rural areas, as well as other
serious situations facing some of their students including arranged marriages of
young girls (more common in the remote areas), sexual abuse, and prostitution.
This anecdotal evidence supports the earlier recommendations of others for the
crucial need for continued development of comprehensive pre-service and in-
service training programs (Navin, 1989; Rollin & Witmer, 1992).
Future Trends for the Counseling Profession in Botswana
Undoubtedly, professional counseling in Botswana will continue to
expand. Increased numbers of counselors and counseling centers to address
community mental health needs are likely, driven in part by the devastating
impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the country. Spearheaded by the government,
efforts to stem further spread of the disease and to deal with its social aftermath
permeate almost all aspects of society. Other increasing social problems,
including unemployment (even among university graduates), suicide and passion
killings among young people, crime and violence, unemployment, poverty among
the young, orphaned children, and teenage pregnancy, underscore the need for
a well developed counseling system.
As stated above, one specific need that has been identified is for a
formalized training program for guidance and counseling teachers. To address
this need, the development of a bachelors degree program in counseling and
human services program is underway at the University. This program is targeted
to teachers who typically hold certificate or diploma-level qualifications, and came
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as a response to the lack of training programs in Botswana and elsewhere that
admit people with qualifications below the bachelors level for further training in
counseling.
Finally, an important and ongoing issue remains the roles of traditional
and Western approaches to the provision of mental health counseling services in
the country. In traditional Botswana cultures, mental health care was provided by
families and as well as by traditional healers. Mental symptoms were believed to
be the result of the evil deeds of enemies or spirits, and traditional practices and
ceremonies were used to treat these problems (Sidandi, et al.,1999). To this
day, counseling and mental health services are provided to clients who may very
well be consulting traditional healers simultaneously. The experience of dealing
with the HIV/AIDS epidemic has revealed some of the flaws in contemporary
counseling approaches that have limited utilization of, and sensitivity to,
traditional cultural values and practices. There is thus a growing awareness
among counseling professionals of the importance of incorporating such values
and practices in order to keep counseling culturally relevant. Understanding the
influence of traditional beliefs and treatment approaches on both those who
provide services and those who receive them, and a strategy for integrating the
two systems effectively are thus important considerations as the profession in the
country grows and expands.
Conclusion
The continued increase in social problems and the limited access to
mental health services, as well as the continued disintegration of the indigenous
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social support system will continue to be a driving force for the development of
counseling in Botswana. Other major influences will likely be the need for
training and professional development of counselors practicing in schools and
community centers, and the need for standards of practice to address the
complexities and contradictions between traditional and Western approaches to
counseling. However, with the recognition of the importance of counseling, and
the resources invested in and planning that is taking place, counseling in
Botswana can be expected to flourish in the coming decades.
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