23 Jan 2018

Ms Marang Modiagane is an inspiring youthful woman who believes in giving in order for one to prosper and reach greater heights.

She believes that one’s background or status should not be used as an excuse as giving should come from the heart not wealth or riches.

“I believe that the little a person has could turn and change lives for better and I am one person who likes giving,” she stressed in an interview.

The dream of giving in this Gabane lady, born 35 years ago, started while she was still at school but could not pursue it because she did not have the courage until she secured a job in one of the government departments after her tertiary education.

Currently, she has come up with an initiative dubbed 'Dreamers and believers' which is aimed to give out stationery to schools in an effort to promote and enhance quality education.

The initiative started in 2014 on her birthday as she asked her friends not to buy fancy presents but stationery so that she could donate to schools to complement government efforts.

She explained that she decided to donate stationery because she realised that most schools were experiencing a severe shortage of stationery when schools open.

She said most parents could not afford to buy books for their children hence “I found it fit to meet government half way in provision of stationery.

The initiative, she said bored positive fruits as Diphetogo Primary School in Gaborone where she schooled, was the first to benefit.  

Ms Modiagane revealed that she went an extra mile to adopt the school and since then she has been donating stationery to the school till to date.

She appreciated a great support from some sponsors such as Ministry of Mineral Resource, Green Technology and Energy Security, Bokomo and Trade World noting that they made her realise her dream of giving for the past four years.

She intends to enroll the initiative to other schools across the country and appealed to the business community and individuals to come forth and pledge donations for the benefit of the innocent children.

Her aim is to demonstrate care and love for children without any expectations or gains because her dream is to see children performing exceptionally well in their studies and pursue their dreams in life.  

“I believe that the little I donate could inspire, ignite and instill a love for learning amongst the youngsters,” she added.

However, one inspiration author once said “Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things”.

Through her good deeds, she was last year selected and trained under Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders.  

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is YALI’s flagship programme, bringing African civic, business and community leaders for academic coursework, leadership training and networking at United States colleges and universities.

She explained that the intensive leadership training had opened her eyes and hoped that her initiative would grow bigger and better.

She encouraged other young people to believe in themselves and chase their dreams until they achieve them. ENDS