Prizes have been handed out to the best students and teachers at 28 schools around Debswana’s Jwaneng mine in Botswana.
Twenty-four primary schools and four junior secondary schools took part in the Diamond Dream Academic Awards, underlining the mine’s value of caring for the people, communities and environment in the Jwaneng-Mabutsane area.
Top performing schools, teachers and students were awarded for their excellence in various subjects. Last year’s winner in the secondary category, Kgosi Mpe Junior Secondary School (Jwaneng), once again emerged victorious, pocketing P50,000.
Morama Junior Secondary School from Jwaneng got the number two spot, while Maiteko Junior Secondary School from Mabutsane was third, winning cash prizes of P30,000 and P20,000 respectively.
In the primary category, Jwana Primary School scooped position one, followed by Dinonyane and Kgalagadi (all three from Jwaneng). Jwana pocketed P50,000, while the other two walked away with P30,000 and P20,000.
Thandie Ramphu, Solomon Nkate and Ceciliah Selabe took home best teacher awards in the secondary schools category and collected P10,000, P7,500 and P5,000. The primary best teacher category was won by Magdeline Mudwangayi, followed by Tshepo Diphale and Andreck Siane. In the best student category, Kago Chibua emerged the overall winner.
VIP speakers at the awards ceremony in May applauded Jwaneng mine’s initiative. Acro News Maseko, Regional Education Officer, said the mine’s community development efforts were in line with one of the key initiatives of the Ministry of Education. These emphasise stakeholder partnership in educational development, known as ‘Adopt-a-School’.
He said: “The Government of Botswana recognises the need for our nation to be an educated and informed nation as articulated in Botswana Government’s National Visions, past and present. We are positive that, through smart partnerships like this one, this great republic will be able to achieve our overall target of Vision 2036, which is Achieving Prosperity for All.”
Albert Milton, General Manager of Jwaneng mine, emphasised how community leaders in Jwaneng and surrounding villages continued to work well with the mine on the education front and in the implementation of its various community projects.
Ruri Pheko, one of the student winners, said: “The Diamond Dream Academic Awards make me feel like I am not alone in this turbulent environment of being a student. These awards go a long way in showing our headmaster and our parents that our teachers’ and students’ efforts do not go unnoticed. We are the future of Botswana, and Debswana is going to make the time to groom us and support us in any way possible.”