OHMORI Setsuo, Ambassador of Japan to Botswana handing clothing to beneficiaries in Dukwi refugee camp
The Pan Afrikanist Watchman
Early this month, the 6th of September 2023, H.E. Mr. OHMORI Setsuo, Ambassador of Japan to Botswana, officially handed over clothing donated by UNIQLO to the residents of Dukwi Refugee Camp in Botswana.
It was the first donation made by UNIQLO to the camp, comprising of 16,000 items of clothing for all ages. Ambassador OHMORI attended the official handover ceremony on behalf of UNIQLO, and as a representative of the Japanese government.
The UNHCR offices in South Africa and Botswana collaborated to organize the ceremony. Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., which is well known for its flagship brand UNIQLO, is a popular Japanese apparel brand. They have been working with UNHCR since 2006. In addition, since 2011, the company entered into a global partnership with UNHCR.
With the support of the UNHCR and other organizations, UNIQLO leverages their strength as a clothing company to provide clothing assistance to refugee camps and other locations, as well as vocational training and other programmes to help refugees become self-reliant. At present, UNIQLO has provided 50.5 million items of clothing to more than 80 countries and regions.
In his remarks, Ambassador OHMORI expressed his gratitude to the officials of UNHCR in South Africa and Botswana, who worked closely with UNIQLO to coordinate and arrange the handover ceremony.
In addition, he applauded the Government of Botswana for its great service to humanity, in offering assistance to refugees in need. He reiterated the continued support of the Japanese government, to maintain its assistance to refugee camps around the world, through the private sector, NPO/NGO and other business partners, along with the various assistance that the Japanese government extends through UNHCR.
Mr. Mawlid, a refugee leader at the camp, who fled conflict in Somalia and has been living in Botswana for ten years, said that “it feels so good to receive this donation from UNIQLO because we don’t have the money to buy clothes for ourselves. During the winter it is extremely cold, so we really appreciate these clothes.”
