BTC Foundation Legacy Hits P6.5 million in 6 years For National Development Programs
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Botswana Telecommunication Corporation Limited (BTC) celebrating 40 years of progress and anchoring the national economy, continues to match its expansive network footprint with a long legacy of community empowerment, development and growth.
Beyond the robust network which envelopes almost the entire Nation with over four hundred 4,5 G sites, VSAT technologies which reach the most hostile terrains and state of the art Data Centre, the Company through its Foundation has positively impacted communities far and wide.
Since its establishment in 2014, the BTC Foundation which is a registered entity governed by a deed of trust, has spent over 6.5 million on over 100 social entities which empower diverse communities with different interests for socio- economic development.
The aim of the Trusts establishment is to fulfil the parent company, BTCs ambitious social investment agenda of building better societies through the Companys corporate social investment in every geographical area the network touches – nationwide.
BTC is committed to contributing to the socio- economic development of Botswana and is very passionate in achieving the countrys development goals and the fourth industrial revolution and the Foundation under the Chairmanship of Kgosi Michael Mothobi Letsogile Mothobi, identified four sponsorship focus areas namely Wellness and Sport Development, Arts and Culture, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Environmental Protection.
The Foundation, the vehicle through which the Company uses to deliver its CSI initiatives has not been shy to go across and reach various communities in the country working closely with community groups and individuals to improve lives. The goal is to partner with like-minded institutions to positively impact communities.
Under the BTC Foundation belt is the annual provision of computers and Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure to previously underserved areas to equip residents with computer literacy and bridge the digital divide. On such centre is the Masunga Village ICT Skills Centre open for members of the community to enhance their craft on ICTs.
Driven by a strong belief that BTC can only thrive if societies it operates within also thrive, through the Foundation, the Company has also taken a deliberate decision to focus more on impactful sustainable projects.
Through the Hawkers Challenge, the Anthony Masunga led organisation, aims to encourage entrepreneurs to enhance their business by selling more BTC products and rewarding them with prizes among others mobile tuck shops, airtime and for this years winner a matshelonyana truck.
The youth have also been part of the fabric of development and empowerment and through the phone book cover and artist of the year award competitions, the Foundation in collaboration with Thapong Visual Arts Centre has been sponsoring the competitions to enable artists to develop their skills and earn a living through their craft.
Last year an arts entity called Black African Poets alongside other community project groups received backing from BTC Foundation .Some of the projects that have benefitted from the Foundation over the years include village development committees, Hope of Trust, Serowe SOS, Kopano Rehabilitation Foundation, Mmabana Trust, Kareng Primary School, Itsoseng Banana Trust, UB Foundation, Mochudi Resource Centre, Kalahari Conservation Society, Karakubis Primary School and Francistown Centre For the Deaf just to mention a few.
From Francistown, Masunga, Serowe, Palapye, Letlhakane, Moshupa, Goodhope, Ghanzi, Maun, Mohembo, Karakubis to Xade, BTC corporate social investment like its expansive network footprint knows no bounds.
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Sister In Law Empowers Women through Law
This past weekend, Botswana‘s ambassador of Sister in law movement hosted 120 attendants for the I am Lady Justice Workshop. The workshop is said to empower women through legal education.
The topics that were discussed during the workshop included; Marriage, divorce, child maintenance, wills, employment law, cyber law and financial literacy.
Sister in law is a movement from South Africa that was founded in 2018 by attorney Tebello Motshwane.
Giving a background of how the movement started in Botswana, Tebele said she was inspired by her shared vision with the founder of sister in law to empower women through legal education.
“I came to learn about sister in law through social media. I flew down to Johannesburg to attend the first sister in law workshop in March 2019, met with Tebello, the founder and gelled. The rest is history. I am now the Botswana ambassador of sister in law” Tebele said.
ABOUT SISTER IN LAW
When giving her remarks, founder of the sister in law Tebello Motshwane revealed that her mother’s divorce inspired her to start the movement.
“Sister in law started as a Blog and was inspired by my own mother who went through a divorce so I became very interested in studying the law because my grandfather always advised me to study law so I can understand why certain things happened when going through a divorce.”
She said after studying law she started the platform as a way to ensure that other women will never find themselves in the position that her mother was left in –divorced with two minor kids in Johannesburg not knowing where to start.
“Some of the information is crucial so you would wonder why women are being disempowered because they cannot afford a legal consultation. So I decided to make this information available online so women can be empowered.”
Motshwane further alluded that the project is a personal passion that she took on to herself to say that the next women who could not afford an attorney would at least have a direction a guide to start.
“Women are already there browsing through make-up, jokes, tick tock so you may as well be empowered as well, so that’s how sister in law came about.”
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Wine enthusiasts gear up for an unforgettable adventure at the First Wine Show
First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) is pleased to announce that the highly anticipated First Wine Show is back, and wine enthusiasts are in for a memorable experience this weekend from Friday 26th May 2023 to Saturday 27th May 2023 at Molapo Piazza. The annual event brings together wine enthusiasts to indulge in a world of flavours and connect with fellow connoisseurs and experts in a great ambiance. “We are excited to host and interact with wine lovers this weekend and promote the lifestyle brand that FNBB is. This event gives us an opportunity to mingle with our stakeholders in a relaxed atmosphere of great wine coupled with the best culinary experience,” said FNBB Director of Retail, Ms Monkgogi Mogorosi. She also mentioned that the event promises to be a remarkable fusion of refined tastes, cultural appreciation, and captivating interactions and provide attendees with a great experience, highlighting that the Bank has partnered with Tamasa Trading to make this possible. The two-day event will start with an exclusive invite only engagement for Premier and Private clients which affords the Bank an opportunity to unpack its value proposition while promoting networking amongst attendees. This will be followed by the Saturday engagement open to wine lovers by purchasing tickets for only P 250. There will be 100 different types of wines available from 13 privately owned wineries ensuring the quality and exclusivity of the wines. Patrons will be spoilt for choice with multiple internationally awarded wines and South African award-winning wines available for tasting. All the wines available for tasting will also be for sale at the event at special prices. The wine show is expected to attract a large crowd as it is one of the most sought out lifestyle events in the calendar.
Patrons can purchase tickets at the below selected outlets: • Riverwalk – Webtickets Kiosk • Online- www.webtickets.co.bw • Maru-a-Pula School- Maitisong • Spar Stores – Kgale, Broadhurst, Molepolole, Mochudi, Airport Junction, Village, Maun Delta, Nswazi, Nzano, Serowe, RailPark, Kanye, Acacia, Kgabo, • Mahalapye, Palapye Junction, Boiteko, Orapa, Kasane, Lobatse, Tsolamosese, Gantsi, The Fields, Marang, Letlhakane and Mafenyatlala. • Choppies Stores – Westgate Mall Gaborone, Selebi Phikwe Mall, Tsabong, Jwaneng, Tati Town Francistown, Metsimotlhabe, Zeerust Road Lobatse.
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Orange Botswana Continues to Invest in the Youth Through Digital Schools Programme, Celebrating Thankane as 52nd School Engaged
In continued efforts to empower young students across Botswana through the Digital Schools Programme, Orange Botswana through the Orange Foundation don handed over digital equipment worth P53, 731.50 to Thankane Primary School, located in Jwaneng.
We are excited to be in Jwaneng and to see yet another milestone for impact being delivered. This relationship began with a view towards working together inclusively and sustainably – give children greater access to quality education. This is, after all, a key goal within our Vision 2036 and even of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is also core to our values and beliefs system at Orange Botswana. Our Digital Schools initiative is a true testament to the Orange Botswana Foundations unwavering commitment, loyalty, and support towards the youth of Botswana, said Benson Lenong from Orange Botswana.
Donated equipment includes but is not limited to:
- 50 tablets loaded with local syllabus content
- 50 headsets
- 1 Video projector
- 1 Raspberry servers
- 1 JBL Speaker
- 1 Laptop
- 1 Case (to contain the package)
The Orange Botswana Foundation, in partnership with the Government of the Republic Botswana, embarked on a quest to empower and educate the youth of the country through giving them better access to technology through Governments Education & Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP). Orange Botswana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Basic Education and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in 2017, to kickstart a pilot of the Digital Schools Programme in 2018. The programme has seen 16,225 students benefiting from deployed schools, with 102 teachers trained in using digital kits as a mode of teaching. Thankane Primary is the 52nd school being engaged as part of the nationwide initiative.
The Orange Digital Schools Project is all about utilisation and integration of ICTs in learning, while at the same time addressing issues of digital inclusion and digital literacy. The Programme aims to bridge the digital gap by leveraging technology to improve access to education in primary schools such as Thankane.
Thankane Primary School was established in 1989 with 324 learners enrolled from Jwaneng and surrounding communities. The school continues to perform well in the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), and consistently works to ensure children learn vital life lessons both inside and outside the classroom. As one of the highest-ranked academic schools in the South region, Thankane Primary boasts excellent academics, leadership, sports, and culture.