In a powerful gathering of community, history, and purpose, Professor Ochieng had the honour of serving as the Chief Walker at the UCCSA Heritage Walk held on 28 June 2025 in Serowe. The annual event, which draws together church leaders, government officials, families, and partners from across the country, paid homage to the rich legacy of the London Missionary Society (LMS) and the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA)—a legacy deeply interwoven with Botswana’s national identity.
In her address, Prof. Ochieng reflected on the enduring impact of the Church, describing it as “a legacy well recorded in the history books as having shaped Botswana’s journey in profound ways.” She emphasised that the Church’s contributions extend far beyond spiritual guidance, touching the core pillars of Botswana’s development—education, agriculture, social welfare, political consciousness, and national unity.
Prof. Ochieng paid tribute to one of the most iconic episodes in Botswana’s past—the journey of the Three Chiefs: Khama III, Sebele I, and Bathoen I, who in the late 19th century travelled to Britain to protect Bechuanaland from colonisation. Their success, she noted, was enabled by the wisdom and support of Reverend W.C. Willoughby, a member of the LMS who acted as advisor and interpreter. “His guidance ensured that their voices were heard, and our land was protected from the ambitions of Cecil Rhodes and the British South Africa Company,” she said.
Another cornerstone of the LMS and UCCSA’s legacy lies in the introduction of formal education. As early as 1821, missionary Robert Moffat had introduced literacy to local leaders such as Kgosi Makaba of the Bangwaketse. Those early seeds of learning blossomed into Botswana’s long-standing reverence for education, with generations of Batswana empowered through reading, writing, and critical thinking.
But the Church’s mission did not end in the classroom. As Prof. Ochieng noted, it also led agricultural innovation, introducing irrigation, horticulture, and practical survival skills that allowed communities to thrive even in difficult times. These early interventions laid the groundwork for self-sustaining rural development and improved livelihoods.
Today, the UCCSA continues this legacy through its active role in institutions like Moeding College, Maun Senior Secondary School, Lephoi Centre for the Visually Impaired, and Kgodisong Orphanage Centre, among many others. These institutions not only provide education and care, but stand as living monuments to the Church’s enduring service to the people.
“The UCCSA’s dedication to the people of Botswana remains invaluable,” Prof. Ochieng affirmed. “Your impact in Serowe, in the surrounding villages, and across the nation continues to be felt quietly but powerfully in the lives you touch and the communities you uplift.”
As the Heritage Walk made its way through historic routes, participants moved not only in remembrance of the past, but also in determination for the future. Prof. Ochieng closed her remarks with a call for renewed commitment: “Let us walk with pride, with purpose, and with gratitude—for those who paved the way before us. And let us walk with faith that what we give today will multiply—for the Kingdom of God, and for the generations yet to come.”
She concluded with a heartfelt blessing: “May the Lord bless the UCCSA. May He bless Botswana. And may He bless each and every one of you.”
The 2025 Heritage Walk was a vivid reminder that history lives not just in monuments or archives but in people, in purpose, and in the ongoing acts of service that honour the past while shaping a better tomorrow.