Bayani creates safe space for

Boniswa Bayani is an educator with over a decade of experience working with learners aged nine to 21 across rural, semi-urban and urban areas has become a trusted guide. Her role has long been one of mentorship, listening, early intervention, and knowing when to refer young people to trained professionals. Drawing on years of conversations with teen boys and girls, Bayani recently launched a WhatsApp channel called Mind Over Matters y2k Teens, designed to help teenagers navigate the hurdles life places before them.

“The initiative grew organically,” she explained, “building on discussions I have had with learners over the past 10 years of teaching and mentorship.” The channel itself was created as a structured response to recurring challenges raised by both teens and parents. On average, the group engages about 133 participants; teens and parents alike. Membership fluctuates as new people join and others observe quietly, but interaction remains steady through daily discussions, private check-ins, and shared reflections.

Bayani believes that today’s parents and children often find themselves at odds. “While access to information has grown, so too has the emotional burden placed on young people,” Bayani added. Across Botswana, she has observed a rise in mental health challenges among teenagers.

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Too often, these struggles go undiagnosed or are misinterpreted as indiscipline. “In classrooms, corridors, and quiet one-on-one moments, young people have spoken openly about anxiety, pressure, confusion, loneliness, peer influence, family conflict, and the overwhelming need to ‘keep up.’ Many lack the language, tools, or safe spaces to process these emotions in healthy ways,” she noted. Affectionately known as Teacher B, Bayani emphasises that resilience is not innate but learned. “The earlier children are taught essential life skills; how to cope with disappointment, manage unfair circumstances, navigate peer pressure, and respond to challenges, the more resilient, self-aware, and emotionally grounded they become,” she said.

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