02 Feb 2016

The government of Japan has granted over US$70 000 (more than P800 000) to the Mogoditshane/Thamaga Sub-district Council for the construction of two blocks of  classrooms at Serameng Primary School in Metsimotlhabe.

This was revealed by Japanese Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Masahiro Onishi at the signing ceremony of Japan’s grant assistance to the school in Mogoditshane/Thamaga Sub-district Council this week, 

Ambassador Onishi said the assistance was done through the Japanese government’s grant scheme called: Grant assistance for grassroots human security projects. The project, he said, would be one of the benchmarks to show the friendship and cooperation between Botswana and Japan in the 50^th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

Ambassador Onishi said the Japanese Embassy has already extended assistance to 42 organisations in Botswana since the launch of the scheme in 1997. 

Recent statistics, he said, showed that the primary school enrolment rate was more than 90 per cent.  He said it showed how the Botswana government had prioritised the spread of basic education with great zeal since its independence. 

The remarkable development of Botswana in the last 50 years, he said, was also clear proof that indicated how much education was rooted and valued. 

In addition to the high enrolment rate for basic education, he said the enhancement of the quality of education also needed to be aimed. 

“It is our wish that this assistance from the people of Japan will be of some help in this regard. As the name of our grant scheme indicates, we have been trying to reach the pressing needs at “grassroots” level throughout this country. 

As such, we have assistance projects in remote areas such as Chobe, North West and Kgalagadi,” he said. Kweneng District Council chairperson, Mr Jeffrey Sibisibi expressed his gratitude to the embassy for the donation. He said the school has maintained an exceptional pass rate of 82.8 per cent, adding that the construction of the classrooms at the school would contribute to the school’s environment that was conducive for learning. Ends