25 Jun 2015

Every nation must ensure that their children have the best quality education from an early age to develop and nature the future leaders of tomorrow at grassroots level.

That will also be in accordance with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development’s mandate of ensuring that by the year 2018, every child would go through day-care and pre-school.

Education minister, Dr Unity Dow, said this when officially opening the Morula Zac Day Care Centre in Gaborone West recently.

The centre was donated by Zac Constructions, sought by Junior Chambers International Botswana (JCI) and the Morula Ward Village Development Committee (VDC).

The minister appreciated the initiative, stating that it was through the spirit of volunteerism displayed by the VDC and JCI who made the dream possible through Zac Constructions Cooperate Social Responsibility to the community of Gaborone West.

She added that parents, teachers, children and the community at large should be thankful that as they embarked on this project all the relevant stakeholders chose the education sector.

Also, Dr Dow said there was a norm or perception that parents were not actively involved in their children’s education, hence lack of monitoring and checking of children’s progress in classrooms.

She urged them to play a vital role, make  sufficient contribution and be part of their children’s educational journey, so as to appreciate their weaknesses and strengths at an early age.

For his part, Member of Parliament for Gaborone Bonnington South, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe stated that students should strive to be the best that they can be, adding that hard work, determination and success is brought by a good educational background, to have a bright future.

He said, “education is the gate way to greatness and it is one attribute that no one can take away from you, and children should be groomed and natured at an early age.”

Zac Constructions’s Nicholas Zackhem stated that he has embarked on several corporate social responsibility causes over the years especially through sports, but they wanted to make a positive contribution to the communities of Gaborone West, which is one of the hard hit locations of Gaborone by poverty, juvenile delinquency and drug and alcohol abuse.

Mr Zackem also stated that they would continue to sponsor such initiatives to empower Batswana through education, as they treat it as a ticket to respect, good life and success.

For his part, JCI Botswana president, Mr Lebegang Sebusang mentioned that this concept was derived more than 10 years ago, and it took a year to be implemented due to refusal of approval of the building plan, and permit by the Council, but through perseverance it was made possible by the then area Member of Parliament, Mr Botsalo Ntuane and the previous VDC who supported the initiative.

The students entertained the guests with some old recital songs and rhythms, sang the National Anthem in Setswana beautifully describing the colours of the National flag of blue, white and black.

Morula Zac Day Care Centre has five classes and approximately 90 children. It has five qualified Pre-School teachers and 10 Tirelo Sechaba volunteers. It started operation in February this year. Ends