23 Jun 2014

The Bourke Family Foundation through the Botswana Book Project, on June 20, donated a total of 360 solar powered reading lights to Serinane and Metsibotlhoko primary school students in the Letlhakeng Sub-district.

Officiating at the event, the director of the Botswana Book Project and representative of the Bourke Family foundation, Ms Andrea Malenya said by providing these most basic educational needs, students would be empowered to reach their greatest potential.

Ms Malenya said the United States-based foundation had partnered with Non-Government Organisations such as the Botswana Book Project in order to provide these lights to children in areas that lack electricity in sub-Saharan countries including Tanzania, Ghana and Botswana.

She further said the mission of the project was to provide literacy material to schools in order to develop an educated and informed nation as part of Vision 2016, and that the organisations are of the believe that investing in a child is a good way of developing a community.

Ms Malenya said the lights are freely given to Serinane and Metsibotlhoko students as a means to promote literacy. “This will allow children to further their education by enabling them to continue reading and doing homework even after sunset and with the aid of these lights we hope and believe that the students will continue to improve their school performance and move towards a successful future,” she said.

Ms Malenya was confident that the initiative will improve the success of the students and help achieve the Vision 2016 pillar of “An educated and informed nation.” Serinane primary got 285 while Metsibotlhoko got 75 lights.  ENDS