21 Jul 2022

The Blindfolded International Student Cultural Exchange Program (BISCEP) is an opportunity for Ledumang Senior Secondary School and US’s Miami Central Senior High School learners to appreciate each other’s cultural background and approaches to learning.

In his remarks, Gaborone North MP, Mr Mpho Balopi embraced the partnership as a platform to help both schools overcome and win academic battles in the futures.

He thanked BISCEP director, Mr Edwin Sheppard for such an initiative, which he said was an improved version of pen pals initiative he once took part in as a student back then. 

“The initiative helped us to connect with friends from different continents and we learnt each other’s way of life, history and gained longtime friendship,” he said.

Mr Balopi assured Miami Central Senior High School learners that they had partnered with pupils from a tolerant, respectable and humble nation. 

Giving a testament about Botswana’s hospitable character, he said history showed that it had been a refuge hub for many neighbouring countries, such as South Africa and Namibia.

Giving an overview of the programme, Mr Sheppard said the journey began in 2019 after a documentary he did in Botswana and South Africa. 

After many engagements with the youth, he realised that to make Africa bigger and better, they needed such an exchange programme to strive for educational excellence in a dynamic global community.

He said the programme would also provide intercultural learning opportunities. 

He thanked Ledumang pupils who had also visited Miami Central Senior High School in 2020.

For his part, Miami Central Senior High School principal, Mr Raymond Sands thanked Mr Sheppard for blessing the two continents. 

He said his team was excited about the opportunity that brought them back to Africa from where they originated.

“We thank you for the love we received. 

I cannot recall being greeted in such a manner on arrival, this shows how loving Batswana are,” he said. 

He also said the platform gave the pupils the opportunity to learn best practices from each other.

He said he believed that giving pupils opportunities would help them become best leaders irrespective of their background.

Ledumang Senior Secondary School head, Mr James Ponoesele thanked Miami Central Senior High School for the initiative, indicating that already it had borne results as some of the learners visited the US school in 2020.

He said the partnership was the beginning of great things for the pupils and would be transferrable to other schools one day. 

Even though the school had not been doing well academically, he expressed hope that the programme would motivate the learners and help them improve their grades. Ends