20 Mar 2016

The Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi, has officially launched Boitumelo Foundation, a new charity organisation aimed at supporting community development efforts.

Officiating at Boitumelo Foundation launch on Saturday, Mr Masisi thanked Choppies Enterprises chief executive officer, Mr Ramachandran Ottapathu for their initiative.

Mr Masisi said what Mr Ottapathu and the foundation trustees did, showed that he was “an adopted son of Botswana in his innovative sense of patriotic duty to his new nation.”

The Vice President also commended Mr Ottapathu and the trustees for combining the launch of Boitumelo Foundation with one of their first contributions, a donation to the Ministry of Health and Tsogang Trust.

“Usually when you have a launch, people are out asking for money to put together the organisation. This one is launching with a bang. So, thank you very much and well done,” he said.

The foundation donated cancer research equipment worth P1.4 million to the health ministry.

The equipment was the first of its kind to ever be commissioned in Africa. The foundation also donated P100 000 to Tsogang Trust.

Tsogang is an HIV/AIDS support group officially registered in 2008 to offer care, support and education to people living with HIV/AIDS.

When receiving the cancer equipment, on behalf of the University of Botswana’s Medical School, Minister of Health, Ms Dorcas Makgato said the donation would assist her ministry to test for cancer.

“We need that and we need that badly. So, thank you very much for assisting us in achieving the quality health care that we are talking about. It will certainly go a long way in making sure that we achieve that, as Ministry of Health,” she said.

The revolutionary machinery, which is said to be able to detect extracellular vesciles down to a size of 150 milimetres, would be used for research on cancer cells and CD 4 cell monitoring for HIV/AIDS patients.

The machine can conserve precious samples and at the sametime maximise data collection and showcases high efficiency with low noise performance and easy mobility.

The University of Pennysylvania, popularly known as UPEN, which is a partner in many medical research projects with the Ministry of Health was a key advisor towards the choice and commissioning of the machine, while the entire cost was borne by Boitumelo Foundation.

Boitumelo Foundation, Mr Ottapathu said, aimed at assisting in health and education through participation in cultural and sporting activities and also by supporting charitable institutions, government initiatives and non profit making organisations.

The proceeds of the foundation’s fundraising activities, he said, would be bestowed on worthy causes that strived to uplift the lives of Batswana. 

Additionally, he said the foundation would adopt any other mandate that supported humanity, promoted and upheld the pillars of the national vision.

Other foundation trustees, are; Justice Zein Kebonang of the High Court, resident director of De Beers Holdings Botswana, Mr Neo Moroka, Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority chief executive officer, Mr Thari Pheko and Mazars Botswana managing partner, Mr Madhu Menon.

As a way to raise more funds to meet the foundation’s objectives, the launch was immediately preceded by a live fundraising concert from India’s most talented musician, Shreya Ghoshal, who is a playback singer in Bollywood. 

Shreya gave an impressive performance with a range of her soothing vocals. Ends