23 Jun 2025

Kenya Ambassador Ms Sabdiyo Bashuna has applauded Kenyans staying in Botswana for starting up projects that are geared toward building the country.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Mustard Seed International School and Sports Academy in Palapye on Thursday,  Ms Bashuna said Botswana based Kenyans were making strides in different professions such as teaching, engineering and nursing  among others. She said it made them proud that the story of the Mustard Seed was an example of something that started small and become big, with impact on the human capital of Botswana.

The groundbreaking marked expansion of Mustard Seed International School and Sports Academy from a nursery and pre- school. It also coincided with the book launch titled: Gracefully Becoming written by the founder of the school, Ms Mary Mwangi.

Ms Bashuna said the vision to open Mustard Seed International School and Sports Academy signified a noteworthy investment in human capital development and future prosperity. She further noted that it took a lot of courage to come to another country and make something work. She thanked Batswana for having  enabled people like Ms Mwangi and other Kenyans to worked and lived with them. She said Kenya was in full support of the project but, adding that her country considered Botswana as a solid partner.

"We take pride in the school because it is going to have monumental impact on the country and the young people of Botswana," she said.

She said Ms Mwangi’s story was that of resilience, dedication, devotion and hardwork. Ms Mwangi said they were not only building a school but shaping souls. She pleaded with parents to raise children who were kind with strong values. She said Mustard Seed International School and Sports Academy would be a place where education was not just for the mind but for the soul, body and the heart.

She said it took her 25 years to get to where she was and further urged those who had the same dreams not to be discouraged if their doors had not opened yet. She also thanked Palapye community for the support. She said her book Gracefully Becoming was more than a story but a testimony and a message that your pain could be your platform, your detour could become your divine direction.

She carries the reader through her transformative journey; fleeing political exile, enduring hunger and heartbreak, raising two sons as a single mother and ultimately founding Mustard Seed International School and Sports Academy.

Kgosi Martha Lebang of Palapye said the school had transformed early childhood education in her village, mentoring others, creating jobs and nurturing children. She said as Dikgosi, they were always encouraged by those who work not just for themselves, but for the uplifting of others. Kgosi Lebang said as they expand into a full academy, she was confident that the legacy would continue not just in Palapye but throughout the nation. ENDS