13 Sep 2018

The six months training on solar power engineering that some Batswana women will undergo at Barefoot College in India will benefit local communities in many ways, particularly in the provision of better lighting systems.

Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development Mr Dikgang Makgalemele said this on September 12, at a send-off ceremony of 14 women who have been selected to undergo the training.

Mr Makgalemele, who together with Kgosi Goareng Mosinyi of Kalamare, visited Barefoot College in 2016, described the programme as a good opportunity that would  equip the local women with skills necessary for improving the lives of people in rural communities.

He said the programme; with a greater leaning towards solar power engineering, had inspired Shoshong constituency to start Lesoso solar power cooperative society, particularly that women from the constituency had had the benefit to be part of the training.

The assistant minister thanked the Indian government for having chosen to invest in the betterment of Botswana’s rural communities.

Earlier when tendering welcome remarks, the High Commissioner of India to Botswana Dr Rajesh Ranjan said the programme was a unique opportunity in which Batswana women would be trained alongside those from other countries.

He said the training would equip the participants with key skills that would serve to add value to life in their localities.

Dr Rajesh urged the participants to make full use of the programme and ensure that their stay in India paid dividends that would be enjoyed by future generations in their communities.

Sharing his experience of their trip to India, Kgosi Mosinyi said the skills being imparted at the college were on production of different products such as sanitary pads.

He noted that if acquired, the skills would greatly benefit Botswana as the country imported an array of products from other countries.

He said the training was a good opportunity that tried to plug the gap that had resulted from the closure of Rural Industries Innovation Centre, a situation that he said negatively impacted communities’ innovation efforts.

Kgosi Mosinyi said it was good that the programme targeted women, whom he said were one of the most disadvantages segments of society the world over.

An official from Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Mr Matthews Phiri explained to the gathering that the first batch from Botswana to benefit from the programme was sent to India in 2015. He said so far, women from Central, Kgalagadi, Ghanzi and Okavango districts had benefited.

A participant, Ms Mosadiotsile Dira from Mmakgori expressed optimism that with the skills she would acquire, she would be able to contribute towards improving the situation in her village. Ms Dira was hopeful that with the skills they would acquire, households would ditch reliance on unsafe lighting methods such as candles.

She said with better lighting in place, children in rural communities would study better, something that would improve academic results of schools in rural areas. ENDS