15 Nov 2020

ABSA Bank Botswana has donated 13 000 face masks to the Ministry of Basic Education.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony in Gaborone on Friday, ABSA managing director, Ms Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane said the donation was part of the bank’s citizen agenda, which underpinned the bank’s operations in the country.

She said the bank was honoured to uphold the spirit of giving back to communities particularly during a time when much of the world was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic further noting that education was the backbone of any country.

Ms Pheko Moshagane said 10 000 masks would be handed to pupils while three thousand would be given to teachers who operated in the most challenged areas of the country.

She further thanked teachers for their relentless efforts in providing a well-equipped education environment, despite numerous challenges.

Ms Pheko-Moshagane also revealed that the masks were 100 per cent locally made and sourced from the small to medium enterprise clientele to improve the local market.

Assistant Minister of Basic Education, Ms Wilhemina Makwinja, thanked the bank for its support.

She said the donation had come at a time when the country was fighting to keep the COVID-19 pandemic at bay.

According to Ms Makwinja, the country had taken a bold step in re-opening schools when other countries had shut down schools indefinitely, thus noting that the safety of children and teachers was of paramount importance.

She added that while schools accommodated about one-third of the country’s population, the need to get all stakeholders to aid in ensuring safety was of great importance. ends