14 Jan 2025

On Sunday (12/01/24) in their first church service of the year, Tabernacle of Mercy church held a mini-award giving session for the best five performers in the 2024 Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE).

The awardees who got grade A are former pupils at Dikgatlhong Primary School in Dikgatlhong, a settlement located north of Lentsweletau village.

Four girls and a boy; Girlie Moeng, Jennifer Muniazo, Venongamo Muniazo and Kesego Semele were rewarded with complete uniform outfits; skirts, shirts, pairs of shoes, school bags, jerseys, pairs of socks and a pair of trousers worth close to P6000.00.

Pastor Sydney Balisi, founder of Tabernacle of Mercy, said the carnival held at Dikgatlhong village kgotla was a symbol that the achievement was not only for the school, but for the whole village.

He said the church’s decision to celebrate pupils’ achievements was beyond self-praising the church but in line with Mathew 6:1-4, which talks against giving just to be seen or praised.

Member of Parliament for the Mmopane-Lephephe constituency Mr Tshenolo Bogatsu, gave the church a pat on the shoulder saying they were indeed displaying that they were a church chosen by God and serving God in truth.

The former teacher said he never hesitated to honor the invitation for he understood that ‘once a teacher, always a teacher.’

He appreciated the church to have recognised the achievements of the pupils, highlighting that small things matter for they shall be big one day and bring bigger rewards.

Mr Bogatsu said as a teacher he understood all the hush-hushes of teaching a child adding that the journey of teacher-child-parent serves as a tricky reciprocal that needed all parties to be well-aligned to each other in order to operate prolifically.

He said education was vital to everyone.

“Education is the cornerstone to success. Most of us here we have achieved in life because education has taken us from racks to riches. Unlike others some of us grew up in less privileged background for our parents had nothing to offer to us as heritage instead the main inheritance was when they sent us to school to be educated and have good jobs therefore I conclude that education is a key heritage,” said Mr Bogatsu.

He said education was ‘the ultimate equalizer of ‘us all’ hence the secret behind the use of uniforms was a way to camouflage between those born without a silver and those well-off.

Mrs Venoliah Letlole, a standard 7 teacher who pioneered the idea of boot camps that helped the school rise to the occasion in 2022 after years of failures, said parents contributed P500 to fund the boot camp, and she paid for water and electricity to ensure the students get warm bath during the boot camp.

She said she had to accommodate the pupil whilst parents prepared meals for the students.

The pupils continue their journey of studies at Motswakhumo Junior Secondary School in Lentsweletau and promised to do their best. ENDS