Galaletsang Dintsi

We Needed Each Other Galaletsang Dintsi

This is a story about 3 young lives from different backgrounds who meet at university and become a formidable brigade. Their friendship transcends beyond varsity into their world as young adults starting out in their careers and life after school. Through the characters, issues of women and girls abuse, exclusion and discrimination due to gender or sexual orientation, cultural trappings and patriarchy are brought to the fore. Some cultural traditions still continue to stifle progress when it comes to issues of inclusivity. There are certain traditions that seek to keep women as the weaker sex. Botswana a democratic country where peace and tranquillity supposedly reign, in contrast, women and children continue to suffer all kinds of abuse at the mercy of the men in their lives, and most of the times by the very people that are supposed to love and protect them. In the whole wide world Botswana came second in rape statistics and these are the issues that the fictional characters are confronted with in the book. Progress is however being made for example, on June 11th June 2019, Botswana's judiciary made history by decriminalising same sex sexual relations. Therefore, the stories of Tebogo, Bonang and Same though fictional are relatable and sadly do happen in our everyday lives.