Child Helpline Botswana opens new P1.1m call centre in Gaborone

Child Helpline Botswana has opened a new P1.1 million state-of-the-art call centre in Gaborone to strengthen national child protection services. The facility was funded through a grant from the Government of Japan via its Grassroots Human Security Project.

The new centre includes consultation rooms, a boardroom, and eight workstations. It features upgraded technology, including an integrated artificial intelligence system to assist with call translation and new systems for secure call recording and storage to improve case management. Additionally, the helpline is now accessible via WhatsApp.

Child Helpline Botswana Chairperson Olebile Machete noted that the government has zero-rated the helpline to remove cost barriers for the public. The project was completed following the grant, which addressed the inability of previous facilities to meet growing demand.