‘Determination pays’
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday September 19, 2023 09:36
He did this at the school’s prize giving ceremony themed "Being the Change towards Excellence" in Gaborone recently.
The vision was to put up a celebrative spectacle that would inspire and motivate both staff and students to strive harder for better results; to bring out the sparkle and shine buried deep within every individual. Kenaape shared his life experiences saying he was homeless twice but he did not let that demoralise him. He said he later persevered and excelled in life. He explained that tenacity was crucial for success adding that his story was a testament of someone who achieved his goals through persistence.
Kenaape also emphasised that setbacks were a natural part of life but should never deter anyone from pursuing their dreams. “Hard work can turn your dreams into reality. It is important to know the value of consistent effort, dedication, and going the extra mile because it pays at the end of the day. To maintaining a clear path to success, an individual needs to be focused. Distractions can hinder progress and the importance of staying on track,” he said. “Education serves as a foundation for success.
Learning, growth, and skill development are very important in your lives. I therefore encourage students to take their education seriously as it can open doors to countless opportunities.” For her part, Bonnington JSS head Magdeline Letsebe said the mission of the school is to provide an empowering learning environment that thrives for excellence.
She said most of the students were well behaved even though there were always exceptions that use drugs and substances, bully others and fight. She applauded parents for helping instil Botho on their children and urged them to keep the spirit up. When addressing the students, the school head told them that discipline goes hand in hand with success saying if they are focused, and committed to their schoolwork they could excel in life. Furthermore, she said the prizes before them were a testimony of their hard work, commitment and resilience.
“On behalf of your teachers, parents and other stakeholders, I would like to commend you for your efforts; and whether you are going to receive a prize or not, Bonnington family is still proud of you. Although we are striving for excellence we have challenges, we have 14 classrooms and 28 classes. It is really a pain to the school, as we have to use other facilities, which are meant, for other activities like the hall to accommodate some classes and shifting of classes. We are also challenged by the use of drugs by some students,” she said.
Letsebe further called parents, teachers and other stakeholders to put their efforts together to assist their students be the change towards excellence. She told them that they needed to believe in themselves and be determined to work diligently. When addressing Form Three’s, Letsebe said this year had its own challenges and therefore advised them not to get distracted or discouraged by what was happening around but rather should focus on their goals. She said in Bonnington they believed that excellence was commitment to improvement. “I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude and honour to our main sponsor De Beers Group.
Let me acknowledge and appreciate other donors, Motloutse House, and other stakeholders who assisted one way or the other for their tireless effort in preparing for this day. We couldn’t have pulled off without their hard work and dedication,” she said. The senior teacher, who also teaches Computer Awareness at Bonnington, Arthur Matshameko pointed out that De Beers Group and other sponsors such as MacMillan Botswana, ABM University College, Diamond Educational Publishers, Integrated Business Investments and others together with Bonnington JSS community gave resources generously for this event to materialise.
He also said Khoisan, Comfort "Big Fish" Ramatebele, Phodiso Ntongana, Legae English Medium School, Mafitlhakgosi Traditional Dance Troupe and DJ Enton, gave their time and services pro bono alongside their students, The golden stars, and Bonnington Latin dance group to keep our guests enthused and entertained. Matshameko added that their donations symbolised a much needed spirit of altruism and value for community and social development; giving hope and inspiration to the youth and employ of the nation. He also said they were living up to the adage, "it takes a whole village to raise a child."