29 Mar 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has visited upon society a disease burden causing loss of life, sickness and loneliness caused by physical and emotional isolation as people are unable to visit the ill or bury their dead in a regular manner.

In times like these it has been clear why scholars of Psychology place the importance of psychological and spiritual well being in human development.

In that regard, the work of motivational speaker, worship leader and author Trish Waboraro, a young Motswana lady, becomes important. She has dedicated her life to addressing the challenges that people face in life in addition to being a Christian worship leader.

Hailing from Bobonong, having spent a considerable period of her life in Namibia but based in Gaborone for a few years now, Waboraro, has in recent times worked with young people in addressing their ‘brokenness;’ the emotional challenges they face.

“I have worked as a motivational speaker, visiting schools, orphanages, the SOS, and through platforms such as the Baylor Clinic and Stepping Stones, addressing the emotional challenges young people face,” she said in an interview.

Her smile, and outgoing persona, belie the fact that she herself has been through difficult circumstances in life, which prompted her to address such challenges in people’s lives.

“I came from an upbringing where there was gender based violence, domestic abuse, divorce, and also experienced challenges in past relationships to the point of being a single mother,” she disclosed.

She is the author of the books Worship Leader Volume I and Worship Leader Volume II, which deal with the spiritual and practical aspects of worship, Broken, about various emotional challenges in life as well as Her Articles, which addresses issues of societal concern through a spiritual perspective.

“After the Worship Leader manual, from 2016 I founded the Sound of Worship platform, through which I went to different parts of the country, such as Molepolole, Mahalapye, Selibe Phikwe, Bobonong and Jwaneng, training church praise and worship groups on the spiritual aspects of their work,” Waboraro, said.

Through NAWE Africa, a Christian spiritual musical entity, she has been afforded the opportunity to training praise and worship teams in Nairobi, Kenya, which she has done through virtual means.

“After the Worship Leader manual, Broken gave me the platform to work as a motivational speaker and address the emotional challenges people face,” she added.  “I got to share my life experiences and testimonies, and got to get young people talking and addressing the issues they face.”

A member of the Assemblies of God in Gaborone, Waboraro, has done her work largely from a Christian perspective, tackling the plight of the youth, young women and society as a whole, and has addressed societal trials confronting both the church and the circular world.

“I have addressed issues such as relationships, sex and gender based violence, and I had had the platform on radio stations such as RB2 and Duma FM, reaching out to national audiences”.

Waboraro, serves different organisations, including Scripture Union (SU) Botswana, which has allowed her the platform to reach out to members in schools and contribute to the SU Southern Africa Devotional as a writer.

She is also the Stepping Stones International Botswana board chair in addition to her profession as a criminal attorney.

“My mission, driven by my faith, is to reach out to as many people as possible out there so we share experiences and inspire each other towards spiritual and emotional well being,” she explained. BOPA