05 Oct 2015

Young Batswana have been urged to take advantage of available opportunities to further their studies.

Speaking in an interview, Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited (BIHL) Trust chairperson, Maj. Gen. Bakwena Oitsile congratulated the 10 recipients of the BIHL Trust for taking the initiative to apply for the sponsorship.

Maj. Gen. Oitsile said it was important that young Batswana should utilise opportunities availed to them. He said the government alone could not be able to sponsor all Batswana.

He urged Batswana who were unable to finance their education to look for opportunities and utilise them.

On the BIHL Trust, he said the BIHL Thomas Tlou Scholarship programme was introduced by the BIHL Group and the BIHL Trust, together with Professor Sheila Tlou and the Tlou family in 2012 with the view to empower talented young Batswana with postgraduate studies.

He noted that the programme has since its inception welcomed all citizens of Botswana who wish to pursue a masters’ programme in any discipline at the University of Botswana to apply for the scholarship.

He added that the scholarship does not discriminate in terms of age, but needed people who would be able to make a positive contribution to diversifying the economy and contributing to the development of Botswana.

He said the issue of academic inclusion and empowerment through provision and access to higher learning remains a central focus for many when it comes to economic advancement. He said the BIHL Group and BIHL Trust has sponsored 10 recipients for the coveted BIHL Trust Thomas Tlou scholarship for 2015.

He said the trust has increased the number of annual scholarships awarded at any given time from four to 10, adding that they were increasing the drive for sustainable investment in education.

Maj. Gen. Oitsile also commended all recipients for their hard work, saying for them to be selected, their applications went under rigorous assessment to emerge as the most suitable candidates. 

He noted that there were many applications, adding that there was a dire need for people to pursue masters’ degree. He also noted that the BIHL scholarship fund had already benefited 16 students. One of the recipients, Ms Leah Machara, who studies for masters in archives and records management, encouraged students to strive for excellence at the tertiary level.

Ms Machara stated that it was not good to strive to attain 50 per cent, saying excellence would give one a good chance to acquire sponsorship anywhere.

She described the scholarship fund as an important milestone in her life, saying it meant empowerment to better her live and career.

She added that the award was meaningful, not only financially, but emotionally as well, saying it was a getaway to a great future for her.

Ms Machara said the BIHL scholarship funding was an opportunity to empower, saying together with other recipients, they would work towards a sustainable contribution to the socio-economic development of the nation.

Another recipient, Mr Mokaloba Mokaloba, who is persuing a masters degree in public financial management, completed his first degree in 2013.

Mr Mokaloba said issues of youth unemployment and the desire to attain higher qualifications, forced him to seek funding.

He expressed his gratitude to the scholarship fund for easing his financial burden, adding that he paid for his first degree. He said he would now have time to concentrate on his studies. The fund, he said, was a lifetime opportunity. Ends