19 Jun 2016

The Vice President, Mr Mogweetsi Masisi, has   applauded Huawei Technologies Botswana (HTB) for donating 30 tablets to Moshupa Senior Secondary School.

Speaking during the official hand over of the gadgets in Moshupa, Mr Masisi said the tablets would promote a culture of advanced teaching and bridge the digital gap.

Mr Masisi, also area MP, pledged to raise funds to complement Huawei efforts to ensure every teacher at the school had a tablet.

He was optimistic that the noble gesture by Huawei would enable the teachers to acquire innovative knowledge through research and linking with other teachers both locally and internationally.

He further explained that the donation would go a long way in uplifting the community

The use of technology, Mr Masisi said, has transformed the education sector and enabled learners from rural villages to compete with the best in the world.

If used optimally, he said technology could better equip teachers to meet the challenges of their profession and the century.

Mr Masisi shared that government and its private sector partners had embarked on several projects such as the provision of ICT equipment, internet connectivity to schools and empowering teachers to integrate technology into learning.

He further said access to the internet was being extended to both public and commercial areas as a way of promoting the ease of doing business for investors.

Mr Masisi said the country’s ICT pledge was articulated in the national ICT policy called Maitlamo, which envisioned to position the nation for sustained growth in the digital age by serving as a key catalyst in achieving, social, economic, political and cultural transformation.

“We live in a global village and ICT will enable us to reach people in different parts of the world as well as open a window of opportunity for business without having to leave an office, “he stressed.

Mr Masisi encouraged teachers to use the gadgets in a manner that would enhance their ICT skills and positively impact on themselves and the students.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo, who had accompanied Mr Masisi to the event, said empowering teachers would also benefit the learners. 

He said his ministry was working on a project with Mascom, BOFINET, and the Ministry of Education and Skills Development to connect the school.

The managing director of HBT, Mr Ren Fujun, said his company which hasd footprints in more than 170 countries always focused on improving the lives of the communities where they operated.

Mr Fujun said they had touched lives in Botswana through a series of projects such as bridging the digital divide, creating opportunities through education, promoting environment sustainability, donating to the disadvantaged and training for ICT talents. 

He explained that the gesture was to demonstrate a desire to build a digitally connected world and a determination to grow with the nation.

Mr Fujun said it was important to empower young Batswana with ICT skills arguing that the wealth of a nation was determined by its capability to master and apply innovative technologies and knowledge. 

Mr Fujun also stressed that ICT had an enormous potential particularly for developing countries to realize sustainable development through bridging the differences in time and distance.

Mr Fujun highlighted that the application of ICT technologies and products in the education sector was vital adding his company has also donated Huawei tablets to three schools in Palapye last year.

The director for the South region Mr Acro News Maseko has meanwhile expressed delight that the donation would motivate both the teachers and learners to do their best. 

He said ICT allowed information to be shared across the world.

For his part, the school head teacher Mr Patrick Phiri said the gesture would help their efforts to turn the school around. 

He said they set themselves a target to get position four in the coming examinations later this year. The school only managed position eight last year. ENDS