06 Dec 2022

 Christmas came a little early to Shadishadi this year thanks to a recent Mascom Wireless organised fun filled day for the local primary school.

  As part of its corporate social responsibility, the company gifted Shadishadi Primary School’s underprivileged pupils with school uniform and Christmas hampers. 

The icing on the cake was when the school itself received an all-purpose printer and two laptops.

Giving an overview of the project, Mascom chief executive officer, Ms Dzene Makhwade-Seboni said  it was vital to share gifts with  pupils as a way of appreciating and showing them love.

The objective  was to change the lives of ordinary people, she said. 

Ms Makhwade-Seboni said the company’s interest in vulnerable and disadvantaged groups was to create impact through initiatives such as its housing project, CEO’s Christmas Party and Mascom 3 for 3.

She recalled that in May, in collaboration with Huawei, Dutlwe received ICT equipment while another corporate social responsibility exercise was carried out in Kauxwe last year. 

Through the Mascom 3 for 3 initiative,  she explained, the company’s employees helped the Mahupu Unified School community to reflect on the importance of education and better living.

“During the event, we introduced digital learning in order to impart knowledge and skills given that nowadays we live in a digitalised world,” said Ms Makhwade-Seboni.

She underscored the importance of educating every child.

Director, regional operations Kweneng, Mr Steve Bothasitse, thanked Mascom Wireless for the support it showed whenever called to render help, especially where government assistance could not reach. 

He urged the private sector and NGOs to embark on corporate social responsibility to help the needy.

“We also have an intervention programme in Kweneng Region called #OperationMaduo where we encourage everyone to take part in children’s education as a way of improving overall academic performance of non-performing schools. 

Our desire is to have a mobile science laboratory that will travel around Kweneng region for students to bridge the digitalisation, knowledge gap,” he noted.

Molepolole Administrative Authority/Lentsweletau senior assistant council secretary, Mr Terrence Ntalabgwe said in addition to poverty and poor water supply in most areas of Kweneng, schools were also experiencing declining academic performance.

Poor academic performance in the district had always been of concern to government, he said.

Mr Ntalabgwe said with Mascom Wireless’ support, it was hoped that the district’s academic fortunes would be turned around.

He noted that the gifts from Mascom came at the right time as the council had been forced to  buy food and clothing every month.

Speaking at the event, an elated Kgosi Keotshepile Gabanakgosi of ShadiShadi said the school was established in 1977 as a boarding facility accommodating 496 pupils.

“Academically, the school has not been performing well but we hope that amongst those who received presents today their lives will improve so that they focus on bettering the results,” he said.

 Shadishadi is a small village about 67km from Molepolole with a population of a little over 800 people. ENDS