Following a request from the staff of Letswai Primary School in Zutshwa Village, situated in Kgalagadi North, the Botswana Building Society (BBS) has decided to build a library worth P500, 000 for the students as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The spokesperson of the BBS, Sipho Showa, stated that in the request from Letswai Primary School, the BBS was made aware that the pass rate for the 2011 exams stood at a paltry 5 percent despite the fact that only 19 students had sat for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). “This was a compelling case and we hope that through the construction of this library we will aide in building a reading culture in the community and ultimately improve the overall pass rate in the school in future,” said Showa.
The BBS intends to provide the building and appliances like cupboards, shelves, desks and computers. They have also made a plea to their employees to donate books and other material which would add value to the library. There is a school librarian available at the school to provide the technical expertise of the everyday running of the library.
“We decided to get involved in the project because it is clear that with literacy being a key driver for social mobility, libraries generally contribute significantly to the quality of life and a sense of well-being,” said BBS Managing Director, Pius Molefe. “For the children of Zutshwa and surrounding areas in particular, the Society hopes that it will become easier for them to access knowledge, scholarship, books and information they need to help them enjoy and make a success of their lives.”
The BBS has just received plans of the school and, after that, their architects will see where they can place the building and will seek approval from the Hukuntsi council and commence building the library.
In addition to this generous move by BBS, Mokwadi Pedriel Nyame of Architects International, a citizen owned firm, has generously agreed to donate his services and time to develop the plan for the library. He will also help supervise its construction.
According to Showa, their projects as an organisation had previously been confined to urban areas and their surroundings and stated that in future they will take on more projects from anywhere in the country as long as it involves making a difference to improve the circumstances in a particular community.
