Botswana became a new field of action in 1970 when the community of Serowe was founded with the Sisters originally taking up posts at the Teachers' Training College and the Primary School and opening a Homecraft Centre. More recently they have been involved in development work with the San people, remedial education, special education and the "Breakthrough to English" programme. A second community was established in 1973 to run the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, and educational and pastoral work became the main 'priorities.
The original two Ursuline communities in Botswana, namely Serowe and Mahalapye were situated in large urban villages. In 1995 the opportunity came to begin an Ursuline presence in the small rural community of Sefhare, a village 134 km from Serowe. The Ursuline who began the insertion spent two years just getting to know the people and trying to assess their needs before embarking on any projects.
Basically her ministry was one of PRESENCE as she networked between the various projects that have emerged, namely:
TONTO Day Care Centre for pre-school children;
RED CROSS Centre for children with disabilities;
A sewing group for village women;
Nurturing two small Christian communities;
Companioning people that were HIV positive and seeing AIDS orphans received the care they needed.
Today, there is still an Ursuline presence in Serowe.
Tsamaya ka PULA!