Goedele Liekens, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and Face to Face Spokesperson for Belgium, took five Flemish young people to Otse, a small town in the middle of Botswana’s cattle country that has been ravished by HIV/AIDS. With support from Face to Face International and the Durex Corporation, Liekens and her team produced a video documentary about a young woman named Staphie, who happened to die of AIDS during the production, leaving behind two young daughters.

Liekens and Belgian NGO SENSOA used the video as an advocacy tool to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and to mobilize funding for an AIDS orphanage in Botswana. The video was broadcast on the commercial TV station, VTM, and was the subject of numerous talk shows on radio and TV. Later, the video was played to Belgian parliamentarians, followed by a full debate in the parliament on the HIV/AIDS threat and how Belgian development cooperation can better address the needs of nations suffering from its devastating effects.

As a result of her efforts, a community-based orphanage was established. Goedele Liekens and the youths raised enough funds to set up a local orphanage in Otse, called Dula-Sentle. Currently, the orphanage accommodates 16 boys and 16 girls, employs 5 community-based workers and provides food for up to 50 parentless children living with their grandparents or other relatives. There are a lot more children and families in Otse to be served; this is just the beginning.