BOTHEO LENTSOANE

What does your company do?

At Khetho Healthcare, our daily operations are deeply aligned with key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly: - SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being - SDG 4: Quality Education - SDG 5: Gender Equality - SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth - SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities We operate in South Africa and are expanding regionally, with a clear mission: to empower underserved communities with knowledge, access to care, and skills for self-sustainability in hearing and swallowing health. 1. Empowering Communities with Knowledge & Skills Our daily clinical work is rooted in educating and equipping: - Patients and families with tools to understand and manage hearing loss and swallowing disorders. - Local care workers and audiometrists from rural and township communities, many of them women and youth, with healthcare training and mentorship that leads to employment. Each day, Khetho clinics: - Conduct hearing screenings, diagnostics, and swallowing assessments in clinics and via mobile outreach. - Provide health talks and practical demonstrations to communities on communication, feeding, and early signs of hearing and swallowing problems. - Deliver virtual and in-person training for healthcare professionals and health institutions to upskill in dysphagia. --- 2. Integrating Technology to Scale Access Our Khetho Health Connect App is a key part of our daily operations. It: - Matches professionals with locum job opportunities. - Hosts training modules, clinical tools, and resource libraries. - Serves as a communication hub between clinicians --- 3. Delivering High-Quality, People-Centered Care Khetho clinics serve clients from birth to end-of-life, offering: - Early intervention for children with hearing loss. - Assistive technology fitting and training for students and professionals with disabilities. - Swallowing management for premature babies, post-stroke adults and palliative patients. At Khetho Healthcare, we do more than treat – we teach, mentor, and lead. We are building a network of empowered healthcare professionals and informed communities.

What is your biggest success?

Khetho Healthcare is a trailblazer in hearing and swallowing health across Southern Africa. Its biggest successes include pioneering community-based hearing screenings and launching universal newborn hearing screening programs that ensure early identification and intervention for hearing loss. The organization has empowered students with disabilities through hearing aid fittings funded by NSFAS and is advocating to become a national service provider to reduce student dropouts. Khetho also leads in dysphagia care, offering virtual consultations and developing an AI-based training platform for healthcare professionals. Through training unemployed youth as care workers and audiometrists, Khetho is bridging healthcare gaps and creating jobs. Its cross-border expansion includes curriculum development and setting up clinics in Botswana. The innovative Khetho Health Connect App supports healthcare workers with job placements, CPD resources, and telehealth tools. Recognized by Access Bank, FNB/Fetola, and the African Health Excellence Awards, Khetho continues to redefine inclusive, accessible healthcare in underserved communities.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

Our biggest hurdles stemmed largely from limited resources, both financial and human. As a growing organization aiming to serve marginalized communities, we often faced challenges in scaling our services while maintaining quality. Infrastructure constraints in rural areas—such as poor connectivity, lack of clinic space, and inadequate diagnostic equipment—slowed down implementation. Another major hurdle was resistance to new systems and technologies from both healthcare professionals and facility managers, often due to limited exposure or fear of change. Recruiting and retaining skilled professionals in remote areas also posed a challenge, as did ensuring consistent training and mentorship. Administrative delays in partnerships and securing government or institutional buy-in added to the setbacks. Despite these obstacles, our team remained resilient and adaptive, finding innovative, low-cost solutions, investing in community training, and building strong relationships to navigate the complexities. Each challenge taught us valuable lessons and strengthened our approach moving forward.