Liberty Life Boss� Passionate Pledge Of Support For Lotsane
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday March 20, 2017 17:10
Rasebotsa was hosting Lotsane’s group of 10 of the most brilliant students that included six girls and four boys, who qualified for an exchange programme known as Global Partnership that took them to Scotland on Saturday, accompanied by three teachers and their headteacher.
Liberty Life joined Lotsane in this initiative this year by hosting the group for dinner as well as giving them branded merchandise. But it was Liberty Life’s CEO Rasebotsa, whose long-term plan for Lotsane and the students that perhaps stole hearts.
She encouraged the students to have the Liberty Life officials’ email addresses so that they can keep track of the individual’s progress. In particular, Rasebotsa said when the final year Form Five results for 2017 are published; her main interest will be to look out for the performances of the group of 10 and Lotsane.
Rasebotsa took time to emphasise to the group the significance of doing very well in mathematics, especially for someone who wishes to pursue a successful career in the insurance business. She assured them that it was possible to score the highest mark in mathematics even by students learning at public schools like Lotsane.
She cited herself as the perfect example that public school students can do very well in mathematics and sciences, as she scored very high marks in the subjects as a student at Gaborone Secondary School. Rasebotsa said she would love to see Lotsane ascending to the top three positions nationally by 2020, the year she has set for her company to be among the top three in the market.
Rasebotsa also promised to support the school in any way possible to help them achieve their objectives.
Motivating the students, Rasebotsa underlined the significance of acquiring knowledge, saying education was core among her company’s corporate responsibilities. Rasebotsa told the students there is nothing as powerful and valuable as knowledge as no one can take it away from them, adding that the group of Lotsane students had displayed a certain level of knowledge to be where they are today.
“Knowledge can change lives; it can turn dreams into reality, it can change the society and economy at large,” she said.
She added that it was the responsibility of corporates such as Liberty and other stakeholders to reward excellence.
“I’m speaking as a parent…I’m over the moon that you have been identified as top achievers; one of our mission statements is to be the employer of choice, so it is possible for you to be working at Liberty some day. Keep Liberty in your minds. A couple of years on, you will be here looking for a job and we will be delighted,” she said.
Liberty Life Botswana joins Motor Vehicle Accident and the British Council who have been supporting the Lotsane exchange programme since inception of the Global Partnership between Lotsane and Scotland’s Chestern Academy.
The partnership commenced in 2009 when, Albertina Milton, then a teacher at Lotsane and a colleague adopted this British Council programme, which is geared at connecting classrooms. Lotsane was then paired with Chestern Academy. The programme was initially financed by the British Council to promote and share best practices on new and existing methods in improving results, as well as promoting bilateral ties and cultures.
The students are chosen in Form IV every other year. Last year Chestern Academy brought 35 students and five teachers to Lotsane. The pupils are hosted by families of students and the Lotsane students will be hosted by families of some Chestern Academy students. Teachers also benefit by benchmarking as they observe classes, while school heads also exchange notes in management areas.
The head teacher, Khangelani Tshebo hailed the programme as having helped lift the school’s academic performance, which was dipping. He said since the beginning of the exchange programme, the performance in Form 5 results stabilised in 2012, and now Lotsane is in the top eight of schools. This year alone, Lotsane produced 27 students with 46 points and above, with 12 of them scoring 48 points.