03 Oct 2013

A Public Health and Epidemiology specialist in Kanye, Dr Lemogang Kwape, has promised to provide a P500 worth of award annually for the best chemistry student at Seepapitso Senior Secondary School.

The award is intended to revive the school whose performance has plummeted during the past several years, the best result being 46 per cent since 2006. Speaking during a prize giving ceremony at the school recently, Dr Kwape said the chemistry subject and the person who delivered it to him, the late Mr Billy Nkobi contributed a lot to what he was today. Dr Kwape said this about the late Mr Nkobi: “This is actually a tribute to him. I am a scientist today and very confident with my science because of him.

He was the best teacher by far, and I will pop out this money each and every year for the trophy as an honour to him.”

He said it was important to honour and appreciate people who made a positive impact on the society. Dr Kwape also said the award was intended to motivate teachers to continue in their nation building role, adding their efforts were being noticed.

A form five student, Ms Bone Masala, who was also the best overall, woman the inaugural award. Ms Masala, who aspired to be a mining engineer, said the award inspired her to be the best she could be in life and thanked the school for organising the event to their honour. Prof. Thapelo Otlogetswe of the University of Botswana who also went to the school in the last 22 years was worried about the gloomy picture that was being painted by the performance.

Prof. Otlogetswe feared the results would have far reaching economic consequences on the nation thus advised parents to urge their children to work hard. Coming from a needy background himself by admission, he said only education got him where he was today.

The Acting School Head, Ms Moipone Ditshego, said they invited Dr Kwape and Prof. Otlogetswe to the ceremony, both alumni of the school, with the intention to whet students to look up to them and aspire to be like them in future. Ditshego, who was also worried about the performance, said they last held the celebrations in 2010. ENDS