Mission programme at Bamalete Lutheran Hospital
Bamalete Lutheran Hospital (BLH) in southern Botswana was founded in 1934 by the Hermannsburg Mission. Since 2022, the hospital has been operated by a local, tripartite body. It consists of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (ELCB), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA, Diocese of Botswana) and the Balete people.
BLH works with the Government of Botswana under a grant agreement for the provision of health services. The hospital serves a region with around 111,000 inhabitants and has approximately 134 beds.
A special feature of BLH is the counselling centre, where social work, psychological care and Christian pastoral care are offered under one roof. There has also been a mission week for over 40 years, which was initiated by the ELM missionary doctor, Dr Johanna Goldbach, together with the local deaconess Keneilwe Sejako. This has resulted in a whole range of spiritual, pastoral and practical programmes.
Our questions were answered by hospital chaplain Pastor Thabiso Daniel Segatlhe:
What does the project consist of?
The mission week is an annual programme for the employees of Bamalete Lutheran Hospital and the associated nursing school. The aim is to strengthen the employees psychologically, physically, socially, professionally, morally and spiritually. Topics of faith are dealt with in relation to health, finances, social issues and behaviour in the workplace. The project is implemented by the hospital chaplaincy.
How has the project developed?
Knowledge and skills were also passed on externally, for example to church officials but also to traditional healers from the Balete ethnic group, who work in Ramotswa and the surrounding area and were trained in palliative care through a workshop organised by the BLH. The response was very positive and encouraging.
We have also tailored this mission programme to young people who have lost most of their relatives and thus their breadwinners due to Covid 19. There will be a weekly programme with therapeutic services for them, including trauma counselling. The management of the hospital has also been given the opportunity to receive further training as part of the mission programme.
What role does the ELM play in this project?
The ELM provided personnel support for this programme during the start-up phase. Missionaries (doctors, pastors and board members) have contributed a great deal to setting up and maintaining this programme, which has now been running for decades.
How do you measure the success of the project?
The mission programme contributes massively to the existence and impact of the hospital in the region. The Botswana government - the Ministry of Health - would like to copy the BLH leadership model, including the pastoral care component, as this has been lacking in state health facilities to date.
What are your hopes for the future of the project?
The Mission Weeks programme with its annual conferences, workshops and training for stakeholders should be further developed and adapted to the requirements of the future. The programme should be expanded to include short-term courses. One example of this is the hospital management training programme, which was made possible by the ELM. For special patient groups, we would like to offer health courses tailored to their needs, for example for deaf people, for abused women and girls, or for elderly people.
