12 Feb 2015

The Adopt-A-School initiative continues to benefit different communities in the country as many companies partner with the society to assist them meet their needs.

Thus, First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) through their FNBB Foundation, donated sporting merchandise worth P50 000 to Dikwididi Primary School.  The merchandise included football and netball balls, nets and kits as well javelin, shot-put, discus and volleyball equipment.

Speaking during the handing over ceremony in Dikwididi on February 10, senior manager for credit card division, Dumezweni Setlhare said their bank placed a lot of importance in contributing to the uplifting of the lives of communities in Botswana.

Therefore, he said sport and recreation were essential elements of a healthy lifestyle adding that FNB was proud to be inculcating the sense of physical fitness and mental agility to kids at a young age.

Setlhare further underscored that not all children were academically talented, but some were more talented in sport, hence the need for the talent to be nurtured and developed. 

Sport, he said instill discipline which would also help children to be disciplined even on their studies. 

Setlhare said their intention was to continue assisting the school with other services, because it was not only about sport and recreation, but their assistance extends to education, job creation, skills development, arts and culture and needy communities. 

The deputy school head, Maadimo Tiro said the school was going through some challenges as they wanted to start a reception class, but did not have toys for the young children.

She said it was then that the school management decided to seek for assistance from companies through the Adopt-A-School initiative.

Tiro said they wanted several playing equipment for the children and made proposals for consideration to a number of companies and FNBB responded quickly.

She appreciated the donation as it would go a long way in developing and growing talent that was found among the children. Tiro added that some of the children in school were doing excellently well in sport and that the equipment would play a major role in helping them to attain excellence in the near future.

She further said parents had been very supportive and continued to support them in many ways in the school. She promised that the equipment would be taken care of. When giving a vote of thanks, area councillor, Obitseng Malesele said the donation came at the right time when talent in sport had to be identified at a young age.

He said the sport equipment would help those children who were talented in sport and could earn a living through sport.  He indicated that gone are the days when sport was for recreation only because today many sport personalities earn a living through sport in different codes.

He encouraged children and school management to utilise the equipment well. ENDS