- A broader mission to build sustainable communities
Orange Botswana marked the first anniversary of its flagship social impact programme, Engage for Change, with a powerful, community-led event in Otse Village on World Environment Day, reaffirming its growing role in advancing environmental restoration and digital inclusion across the country.
The celebration, themed โEngage for Earthโ, brought together Orange employees, youth, local leaders, and strategic partners including Debswana and Camphill Community Trust for a large scale tree planting drive and sustainability awareness activities.
Speaking at the event, Orange Botswana CEO Nene Maรฏga said the milestone was not an end point, but rather a continuation of a movement rooted in collective responsibility and long-term impact.
โEngage for Change is more than a programme, it is a commitment to the people and planet we serve,โ Maรฏga said. โWe launched it to inspire action, and today, in Otse, we are seeing that action take root quite literally.โ
Hundreds of indigenous trees were planted throughout Otse, supported by environmental experts and local volunteers. The initiative aims to combat land degradation, build climate resilience, and educate communities on environmental stewardship while also integrating digital tools to ensure long-term monitoring and participation.
โOur work in Otse is part of a broader mission to build sustainable communities,โ Maรฏga added. โThrough partnerships, education, and technology, we are ensuring that our environmental actions are not only visible but lasting.โ
Now operating across 17 countries, the Engage for Change programme has delivered 232 projects, impacted over 18 million lives, and mobilised 5,478 Orange employees globally. In Botswana, the programme focuses on fusing climate action with digital empowerment in vulnerable communities.
โWe believe sustainability must be inclusive,โ said Maรฏga. โThatโs why weโre pairing environmental efforts with digital tools so that no village, no school, no child is left behind in the climate transition.โ
The Otse event featured interactive exhibitions, youth-led environmental storytelling, and demonstrations of digital platforms that support rural sustainability efforts. Orange Foundation Director Modiri Nlanda also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of enabling local solutions through innovation and collaboration.
Looking ahead, Orange Botswana plans to scale its impact by expanding tree-planting campaigns, introducing environmental literacy in rural schools, and developing mobile-based community monitoring systems using satellite data.
The day concluded with a resounding call to action for all Batswana from citizens to corporates to play their part in building a greener, more climate-resilient nation.
