28 Mar 2021

First Lady, Ms Neo Masisi has appealed to stakeholders to always remember the underprivileged children in rural areas.

She said this at the handing over of a two classroom block constructed by Jwaneng Cycling Club and Level Group for Machana Satelite School.

The First lady, who is also the Machana Satelite School patron noted that most of the children in Machana were not privileged and were from remote farming area with most coming from low income families and as such needed encouragement critical for their success.

“Government recognises the need for our nation to be an educated and informed nation as was enshrined in our Vision 2016, and espoused in our Vision 2036 under Achieving Prosperity for All pillar,” she said.

Ms Masisi underscored that government remained focused on driving Batswana towards achieving vision 2036 aspiration of Prosperity for All. She said caring and giving were the foundations which would drive the country to ensure that learners had access to education.

She therefore hailed the duo for their effort, adding that by ensuring access to education they were contributing towards the country’s growth. Looking back to how the school was established, she said in 2017, during a kgotla meeting in the settlement by then Vice-President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, they witnessed a number of school going children who, instead of being at school were in attendance at the kgotla meeting. 

Ms Masisi noted that upon enquiry, it emerged that the learners could not access the nearby Pitseng Primary School because of long distance they had to walk. “As a matter of urgency, it was decided to establish a satellite primary school in Machana for lower classes,” she said.

She noted that Machana was a remote farming area and most learners were from low income families and the construction of the school presented a rare privilege of education for learners in the area. 

“I would like to thank Ministry of Basic Education and Southern District Council for their commitment in addressing such impediment to learning for the children in Machana. 

The construction of this school, has changed the lives of the inhabitants of this settlement,” she said.

She indicated that the school had been built purely out of goodwill through assistance of stakeholders such as World Group of Companies, Star Pest Control Company and Batsamai Hiking Club to help transform the lives of the learners.

Moshupa Sub-district chairperson, Mr Peter Sethibe thanked First Lady for her dedicated support towards the school. He also commended the two companies for completing the construction of the classroom block in a record time.

He said council was financially constrained as a result of the impacts of coronavirus pandemic, adding that the funds which could have been directed towards the construction of the class would now be directed to fund other projects. ends