04 Dec 2016

Junior Achievement Botswana(JAB) team of four students from Naledi senior school are set to represent Botswana at Junior Achievement Africa (JAA) regional company of the year competitions in Harare, Zimbabwe on December 7- 9.

The Birds Nest Company led by 18 year old Gift Senne, Tebogo Kebabope, 16 year old Sebaga Manyepetsa and Patience Ntlogelang will present their project, bird release display service in a three day event in Harare.

When addressing the participants JAB executive director Ms Tshidi Tlhong said the young innovates will showcase their products competing along with about 13 JA Africa member.

Ms Tlhong said since Botswana started to take part in JA Africa 2010 pride with a history of good positive results from the previous competitions.

“We started in Kenya where we got position two then 2011 in Ghana, we took another position two in Swaziland in 2013,” she said.

She added that they also sent a company that traded as Bokamoso for European trade fair, and the company made exceptionally well under  marketing as they scooped position one.

The Best Nest Company came to pass as the country’s only representation after coming top of the JA Africa qualifiers in September that was held at Mogoditshane senior school.

Ms Tlhong bestowed trust in the team as she explained that she believes the company have a winning project therefore wished them all the best in the competitions.

For her part chief education officer Ms Daily Makhaya was stunned by the presentation displayed by the aspiring young business entrepreneurs.

She was of the view that the way the young team presented their idea, showed that Ministry of Basic education is gettingthe value of what they spend in education.

“At our ministry we advocate for quality and relevant basic education, even our ETSSP 5 year strategy we talk of multiple pathways which I believe this attest to that,” she said.

She added they also practice inclusive education and acknowledged the achievement by JAB by making efforts to realise their strategy as partners.

Ms Makhaya extended her word of encouragement to the team to believe in themselves and wished them the best of luck going into the competitions. And lastly she applauded the parents for their support by letting their children take part in the project even if it was school holidays.

Managing director of Birds Nest, Gift Senne expressed his delight on embarking on a new journey of his life and said it was quite an experience they had since day one.

He said what astonished them is the idea of representing Botswana in Zimbabwe, something he said means a lot for them as a team.

With regard to the project he said the project explores the idea of diversifying the economy hence the trade is a relatively new thing in the country. ENDS