Sisters along with the St. Vincent de Paul Conference of Metsimotlhabe hosted Botswana’s first Vincentian Family Meet on 30th May, 2019. They had two international visitors- Fr. Flavio J. Pereira C.M, the Assistant Coordinator of the Vincentian family in Philadelphia, and Bro. Sylvester, the Coordinator for the Vincentian Family in Nigeria. They were in the country with a mission of starting the Botswana Vincentian Family. Being a small country with very few religious groups, Botswana has only two branch members who follow Vincentian charism – Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. The 24 participants at the meeting consisted of all the SCNs in the country, a few SCN Associates, all the members of St. Vincent de Paul Metsimotlhabe Conference, and a few members of SVDP from other Conferences in Lobatse, Kanye, Mogoditshane and Gaborone.

Fr. Flavio CM briefly explained to the participants about the Vincentian family and the many branch members of the Family around the world. Mrs. Paulina Antwi, the former National President of the Botswana Vincent de Paul Society is the acting Coordinator for Botswana Vincentian family until a National Council for the Vincentian Family in Botswana is constituted. Nalini Meachariyil SCN was nominated to assist Mrs. Paulina Antwi to educate all the St. Vincent de Paul Conference in the country and bring together the group. Fr. Flavio would be back in the country sometime next year to help the group to elect the National Council of Vincentian family in Botswana.

Though there were only a few members we believe that everything has a small beginning. We hope and pray that the Vincentian family in Botswana grows and becomes vibrant as time goes. SCNs in Botswana have a vital role to play in achieving this dream.