Building an international health college
From just one programme in 2007 training 50 healthcare auxiliaries, Dr. Tiro Mamppane, founder and Director of Boitekanelo College looks back at the milestones and struggles that led his college to be the reputable health institute Boitekanelo College is now.
On the wall of his office in the first floor of the administration block is a quote by John McAfree that sums up the kind of man the doctor is. “The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do”. In a way Dr Mampane has proved this to be true. To quit a lucrative job as a doctor in the biggest hospital in the country to pursue a venture with no guarantee of success and turn it into an international university in 15 years, one has to be wired differently so to say.
His face lights up at the opportunity to go down memory lane as he relates his journey. Occasionally he nibbles at nuts as he recalls how difficult it was to get capital to start construction of the first premises the College owned. The construction would be an important turning point for the college. “To get Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) accreditation, we were required to have a building as a demonstration of capacity. The accreditation would increase the number of students through government sponsorship, but most banks were not willing to help. It was like the case of the chicken and egg; which one comes first?” Mampane recalls.
Eventually Bank Gaborone agreed to finance the venture and Mampane believes it was because of the confidence Gase Thekiso had in them. She has become one of the heroes whose names will likely be remembered for as long as the College exists. “I always tell her she helped us a lot by believing in us,” says the doctor.
As he leans back on his wheeled office chair and reaches for the nut container, he reveals his plans to name some College buildings after the two heroines who helped spring board the College to success. Mampane further recalls another heroine, Wendy Mookodi, who gave him a soft loan after he left his job. “It was expensive to set up. The license alone cost P20,000 and she came to my rescue. If it wasn’t for these ladies I wouldn’t have managed,” he states.
Another turning point in the growth of Boitekanelo College was in 2010 when the college got Isabella Magetse as principal. Her extensive experience as an educator and administrator came in handy at the right time. “I don’t know what we would have done without her. She was elderly and kept us grounded as I wanted everything to happen instantly. She helped us set up, among other things, graduation and moderation. She and Mma Matlhabaphiri who came in as Exam Officer brought the much needed stability to the College,” says Mampane. Before joining Boitekanelo College, Magetse was Deputy Director, Teacher Training in the Ministry of Education. Below the McAfree quote is framed pictures of the College from the day the college was awarded quality management standard by the Botswana Bureau of Standards in 2020. In the middle of the College, and in bold is ‘ISO 9001: 2015’. A clear symbol of how far the college has come.
Boitekanelo College now offers degree programmes since 2013 and has internationalised with students from Eswatini, Zambia and Lesotho. Furthermore, in 2007 the College and the Ministry of health partnered such that the students would spend half their study life in class and the other half in the field attached to government institutions so that by the time they graduate, they are market ready.
“This is our strong point and what sets us apart from other institutions. If you go to Bokamoso Private Hospital or Gaborone Private Hospital and public health facilities, from reception all the way, you are most likely to be assisted by our graduate. If you call an ambulance at anytime, there is a 99.9%t chance you will be assisted by our graduate. Some of our graduates have also opened their own ambulance services. This is how we change lives, improve the outcome for patients and improve longevity in the society. When these happen we get excited,” he states. To further ensure quality, the College has partnered with reputable universities such as the Stellenbosch University and University of Cape Town to assist in up-skilling the faculties and co-develop their curriculum. They also have visiting professors and have heavily invested in infrastructure. “We have one of the best simulation labs in the country and leverage on technology to ensure exceptional experience and do stakeholder management of key industry players,” Mampane further states.
There are, however, challenges which the doctor says they have managed to mitigate such as ease of doing business promised by politicians but a contrary experience with regulators. While they have had to spend in adapting to ‘blended learning’ to mitigate against the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Mampane says there was a bright side. “The pandemic highlighted the importance of health and many of our graduates were hired at places like the Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital and in ambulances as there was high demand for health personnel,” he states.
Confidence has also grown especially after the current principal, Dr. Morekwe Slemogwe Matsetse, joined the college five years ago. There are also 18 PhD holders in the research unit and Mampane further reveals they have a training budget to assist staff members to attain Masters degrees and PhD to further develop human capital. So far 72 team members are at Masters level. The College is also working on development of more relevant programmes and being the centre for professional development studies offering in service training to working health professionals. Furthermore, Dr Mampane reveals plans for incorporating a school of nursing. “We have already partnered with the Botswana Nurses Union and we are looking at other strategic partnerships,” he adds.