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After spending the summer with a human rights group in Botswana, second-year law student Cynthia Morgan encourages anyone interested in working overseas to undertake similar opportunities.
Morgan worked in Gaborone, Botswana with the Botswana Networks on Ethics, Law, and HIV/AIDS (BONELA), a non-governmental organization committed to the ethical, legal, and human rights of those affected by HIV/AIDS. She received funding under the federal government’s Students for Development Program, financed by the Canadian International Development Agency.
“Botswana does not have a well-established legal aid system,” said Morgan. “So BONELA allows people to gain access to government sponsored legal assistance.”
People needing help can come into the centre and have a session with an intake officer who assesses the case and determines whether it can be taken on. Morgan worked with numerous cases involving wrongful termination, constructive dismissal, and defamation allegations that often arise as a result of the high stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. There were also specialized cases where prisoners requiring medical care were denied access and subsequently suffered health deterioration.
“It is limited in the sense that there was only one lawyer with legal assistants, so there are people that legitimately need help and can’t get it,” she said.
BONELA has an active outreach program that offers legal education and sensitization workshops regarding HIV/AIDS. The workshops enable all stakeholders to come together and discuss HIV/AIDS, the law, and human rights.
“There were radio campaigns that were very effective,” Morgan said. “There were also publications that communicate the different legal frameworks that exist to address these issues.”
She noted that there are legitimate concerns surrounding the lack of available resources. For example, although there is a legal clinic available at the University of Botswana, it is only open during the school year. Nonetheless, Morgan saw the benefits of working for a smaller grassroots organization, which allowed her to see its impact on the community.
Photo: Windsor law student Cynthia Morgan and her colleague Kabo Mathumo at the Botswana Networks on Ethics, Law, and HIV/AIDS.
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