- Annual fund-raising campaign to raise a minimum of P500,000
- A chance for a Motswana to go to the University of Capetown
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
The Botswana Alumni Chapter for the University of Cape Town (BACUCT) has embarked on an annual fund-raising campaign to raise a minimum of P500 000 each year towards sending Batswana to the University of Cape Town.
Speaking at the scholarship gala dinner at Masa Hotel in Gaborone, Executive Director of Development and Alumni Department, Russell Ally said the fund-raising initiative was a way of giving back to the society and give Batswana a chance to be a part of a university that provides the setting to think in a Pan-African way as the university plays a vital role of producing professionals.
“No one should be denied education due to lack of funds. By giving an aspiring Motswana a University of Cape town scholarship it means they will have a chance to have qualifications that are meaningful globally and will also be molded into a citizen of the world with enriched experiences,” Ally said.
Keynote speaker for the night, Bogolo Kenewendo, said the subject of scholarship was closer to her heart especially because she personally struggled to land a scholarship during her time, an opportunity she says has the potential to transform an individual’s life. “I commend these efforts because this means that one person’s life will be transformed as they experience the global platform. I am a strong believer that we are what we are because someone else gave us an opportunity and opened a door for us. I hope the winner of this scholarship will also give back to the community and hoping next time more Batswana will be sponsored through this initiative,” the Specially Elected member of parliament said.
For her part, guest speaker Lona Omphile said the initiative sought to bring back hope since it allows everyone to become a source of hope for a better tomorrow and for a bright future. She says the initiative should matter because education is a very vital tool that is used in the contemporary world to succeed. It is important because it is used to mitigate most of the challenges we are currently facing in Botswana. The knowledge that is attained through education helps open doors to a lot of opportunities for better prospects in terms of one’s career growth. Education produces citizens who are men and women of intellectual and moral integrity, who are neither fanatical nor cynical but are public-spirited, tolerant and wise.
Moreover, about P20 000 was raised during the gala dinner and all the proceeds including pledged items will go towards a fund for the benefit of aspirant Batswana students. The scholarship is open to top achievers under the age of 40 years wishing to pursue a post or undergraduate course. The candidate should be accepted by the University of Capetown and should have not been sponsored by the Government of Botswana in the past five years.