Businessman assists Marang JSS students

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Monday June 24, 2013 00:00

Marang Junior Secondary School on Friday benefited from the initiative when businessman, Arun Kumar of Podder Investments adopted 10 needy students who did not qualify for government's social welfare programme. The 10 students were given new school uniforms, school bags and will have their annual school fees of P300 paid by the entrepreneur. A cheque of P8,400 was presented to the school towards the beneficiaries' tuition fees.

Kumar said education, as an important human investment, required that stakeholders have an active role towards its delivery. He urged parents and teachers to take seriously the responsibility to empower young people. Kumar has a number of companies under his name, among them a construction company and an airtime voucher distributor for all the three mobile networks in Botswana.

'Students should play their part as well through studying hard and assisting others,' he said. Kumar said he would like to see education with production as the country still lacks vocational skills.He said many locals want to be absorbed by the white-collar establishment or auxiliary roles such as being cleaners.

'In many instances people come looking for jobs but they are not skilled in areas such as plumbing, electricity and construction. There is just too much emphasis on certificates or theory,' he said. This, he said leads to foreigners, especially Zimbabweans who are immensely skilled in technical and vocational fields, benefitting more at the expense of locals. 

For her part, Mmantho Maoka, chairperson of the institution's Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), implored the business community to contribute towards education as it is of utmost importance to society. She said that the teaching profession has to be accorded due respect because it is at the heart of human resource development.

Both teachers and parents welcomed Kumar's contribution to their school. Early this year, the Assistant Minister of Education Patrick Masimolole announced that the Adopt-A-School initiative has saved government P160 million since its inception in 2011.